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By Glenn Singer
Health Writer for the Sun-Sentinel |
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BOCA RATON - Neurologist Stuart Isaacson knows
the pain, discomfort, fear and agony patients
with Parkinson's disease experience. He sees
scores of them in his practice. |
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But looking for similiarities in their cases,
trying to find good candidates for clinical drug
trials and comparing his findings to what doctors
elsewhere are reporting has been difficult, if
not impossible. |
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Those obstacles started to crumble on Friday,
when Isaacson's office became the newest site
for a database called the AliProject, named after
former professional boxer Muhammad Ali. The database
was created to link Parkinson's centers around
the country and help gather, store and share
information. |
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Standing left
to right - Susan Holt, Micki Brooks, Stuart Isaacson,
M.D.
Seated - Lynn Finck |
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"The information from a center
that sees even 1,000 Parkinson's patients is nothing
compared to the data that can be generated from centers
that collectively treat 100,000 or 200,000 people," Isaacson
said. |
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The database, created at the Muhammad
Ali Parkinson Research Center in Phoenix, Ariz., came
to Isaacson's office thanks to a $16,000 grant from a
local advocacy and support group, Take Charge! Cure Parkinson's
Inc. Much of the money came from patients and families
of patients afflicted with the disease. |
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Isaacson invited several group members
to his office on Friday to observe the Arizona Center's
manager, Lynn Finck, demonstrate the new system, which
its designers hope will help researchers find a cure
for the disease. |
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"In many ways, it's a designed
disease. It affects everyone differently," said
Micki Brooks of Delray Beach, whose husband had Parkinson's
and died a year ago. |
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Parkinson's is a slowly progressive,
chronic neurological condition that affects a small area
of cells in the mid brain. Gradual degeneration of these
cells caused a reduction of a vital chemical, dopamine. |
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Parkinson's can cause tremors on
one side of the body, generalized slowness of movement,
stiffness of the limbs and balance problems. Some people
experience tremors so severe they cannot sit or walk.
Patients can be treated with medication - sometimes as
many as three in combination - and some undergo brain
surgery to help control the disease. |
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Until recently, ther had been no
central database to collect and share patient information,
which is made available anonymously to health professionals
on the network. The potential for such a system is enormous,
the Ali Center's Finck said. |
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For example, she said, not only
do doctors get a streamlined system to monitor their
own patients, but they can search for similarities in
patients elsewhere. For Alison Landes, who formed the
Take Charge! group, the Boca site offers encouragement
to members that researchers will gain insight into the
disease. |
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