Parkinson's Disease Support Group
Parkinson's disease is a movement disorder often characterized by muscle rigidity, tremor, a slowing of physical movement, and in extreme cases, a loss of physical movement. The primary symptoms of Parkinsons are due to excessive muscle contraction, normally caused by the insufficient formation and action of dopamine, which is produced in the dopaminergic neurons of the...
The doctor asked my husband if he wanted to join a study. He explained that they put a visor over his eyes and it somehow tracks how he goes from room to room. I'm not sure exactly how it works, but it supposed to help the doctors understand PD patients better. He supposed to go to the hospital 3 different times and then an eye specialist does a eye exam.
I'll probably understand it better when he starts. My husband has excessive blinking and gets botox injections every 3 months.
I'll probably understand it better when he starts. My husband has excessive blinking and gets botox injections every 3 months.
There was also going to be a balancing test if he went further in the study. I think I was more upset than him for not passing but I at least he tried. He can't help how he remembers things.
They didn't want him to get in a situation where it would be dangerous or upsetting for him. I don't know if he went on, if he would be alright but they have there standard for the test.
They were going to put on a visor and he would be doing different things, eg. watering plants, grocery shopping and crossing the street. He wouldn't actually be on a street with real cars, but in a virtual reality program.
After this part of the study they were making a microsoft program to help Parkinson's Patient and for them to better understand them.
The study was being done by university students.
He was asked before this study if he wanted to do another study where he would wear a GPS straped to his chest, all day for 2 weeks.. He would also keep a journal of his activities, etc. It is done in his own home and community to see how he does in that evironment. He thought it would be too much for both studies so he declined.
Has anyone else done any studies like this? I think the first one is new and the visors were just made his year. This is in Ontario Canada so maybe some studies have been done in the States too.
It's interesting that your husband is a control person for a study.
Whenever I mention to people about counting backwards from 100 by sevens, they say that wouldn't be easy for them either and they don't have PD. Even my daughter who is very smart said that it would take time for her to think about it.
I feel like telling his doctor that it isn't fair about that part of the test.
Thanks for making me feel better about the study and that it just isn't him that has problems.
Lynnie.
The doctor said that they had to have boundaries or certain qualifications to put a patient through to participate in the study. If they didn't do this than the study wouldn't work for what they wanted or show the true results. . They would be all over the map if they let everyone do the study.
The other side of the story is the program that they are eventually developing from this study for rehab for Parkinson's patient doesn't require that they qualify.
Maybe someday my husband will get use the program when it is finished, who knows.
THe second study was where you wore the GPS tracker and another sensor around your arm, which sensed how much energy you used to do the tasks that you noted in the log. It was intresting, The disapointing part was that they never got back after the test was over with my results. Didn't even answer my e-mails.