VCU Parkinson’s and Movement Disorders Center researchers investigating living well with Parkinson’s disease.

Dr. Sarah Lageman and Andrea Garroway, M.S., a VCU doctoral psychology student, are conducting a survey investigating how people are able to live well with Parkinson’s disease.  The goal of this study is to gain a better understanding of how people’s resilience and coping strategies can influence the relationship between PD symptoms and mental health.

If you have received a PD diagnosis, you are invited to participate in this survey study. The survey can be completed online, by clicking this link.
It takes about 20-40 minutes to complete.

Paper copies of the survey can be requested by contacting Dr. Sarah Lageman at pdcenter@vcu.edu or by calling (804) 828-3747.

Your participation is an important contribution to current Parkinson’s research and may inform future treatments and interventions for other people with the disease. Thank you in advance for sharing your insights with us.

Review the IRB approved flyer for this project.

VCU Parkinson’s and Movement Disorders Center a co-sponsor for the 2013 Parkinson’s Disease Community Education Day on Saturday, October 12, 2013

Save the date for this annual conference for individuals and families affected by Parkinson’s Disease.  This year’s conference registration will open on August 1, 2013 – sign up for our mailing list to receive registration information.

When: October 12, 2013
Where: Holiday Inn Koger Conference Center, Richmond, VA

Featured general session speakers include:
Janet Edmunson, M.Ed – “Living with PD: The Importance of Positive Emotions”
Speaker, Author of Finding Meaning with Charles

Emily Peron, PharmD, MS, BCPS, FASCP - “Medication Use in Parkinson’s Disease: A Pharmacist’s Perspective”
VCU School of Pharmacy

Julie Sacks, LCSW -“Young and Early Onset Parkinson’s Disease Awareness”
Director, APDA National Young Onset Center

Paul Short, PhD - “Not Dementia: Common Cognitive Changes”
The Parkinson Coach™ & Author, Uniquely Young Onset Blog

New this year – Breakout sessions:
• Young/early onset issues
• Dealing with caregiver/carepartner challenges
• Exercise/movement activity

This conference sponsored by

Dr. Leslie Cloud, neurologist and researcher with the VCU Parkinson’s and Movement Disorders Center is conducting a study to learn about gastrointestinal problems in Parkinson’s.

Gastrointestinal problems are frequently reported by people with Parkinson’s disease (PD), but these problems have not been well studied and there are not many effective treatments.  The purpose of this study is to learn more about the specific gastrointestinal problems people with PD experience.  Better knowledge of gastrointestinal problems is the first step to developing more effective treatments.

If you have a diagnosis of PD and want to participate in this study, you will be asked to sign a consent form and complete a brief survey.  Some people will be asked to undergo a physical evaluation of her/his gastrointestinal tract.  You can decline to participate in the evaluation.

If you are interested in participating or learning more about the study, please contact Ginger Norris at (804) 828-3747 or pdcenter@vcu.edu.

Review the IRB approved flyer for this project.

Clinical research is integral to advance our understanding of Parkinson’s and movement disorders.  Researchers at VCU Parkinson’s and Movement Disorders Center rely on volunteers to partner in the quest to learn more about these diseases. By volunteering to participate in clinical research, volunteers have the opportunity to contribute to the discovery of the causes of and new and better treatments for movement disorders.

Participation in research projects is always voluntary, can be stopped at any time, and will not influence patient access to evaluation and treatment at the VCU Parkinson’s and Movement Disorders Center.

There are several projects that are currently recruiting at the center, organized below by the disease being studied.

Dystonia

• Natural History of Primary Dystonia – the purpose of this study is to learn about how dystonia may progress over time.
  • To be eligible to participate, volunteers must be at least 18 years old and diagnosed with a primary dystonia.
  • For more information, contact Ginger Norris at (804) 828-3747 or vwnorris@vcu.edu.
• Biorepository for Primary Dystonia – the purpose of this study is to learn more about the causes of dystonia.
  • To be eligible to participate, volunteers must be at least 18 years old and diagnosed with a primary dystonia.
  • For more information, contact Ginger Norris at (804) 828-3747 or vwnorris@vcu.edu.

Essential Tremor

• Biology of Essential Tremor – this study is designed to learn more about essential tremor, including the possible cause(s), genetics, environmental factors, and symptoms.
  • For more information, contact Ginger Norris at 828-3747 or vwnorris@vcu.edu.

Parkinson’s Disease

• Computer-Based Cognitive Training for Individuals with Parkinson’s Disease – this study is investigating the benefits of a computer-based cognitive training program.
  • Volunteers must must have a diagnosis of PD to be eligible to participate.
  • For more information, contact Dr. Sarah Lageman at 828-3747 or pdcenter@vcu.edu.
• Gastrointestinal complications of Parkinson’s disease (PD) – the purpose of this study is to learn more about the gastrointestinal problems people with PD experience.
  • Volunteers must must have a diagnosis of PD to be eligible to participate.
  • For more information, contact Ginger Norris at 828-3747 or vwnorris@vcu.edu.

• Neurocognitive Intervention and Supportive Therapy in Individuals with Parkinson’s Disease and Their Support Persons – this study is investigating the benefits of two interventions on quality of life, thinking skills and psychological functioning.
  • Volunteers must must have a diagnosis of PD to be eligible to participate.
  • For more information, contact Dr. Sarah Lageman at 828-3747 or pdcenter@vcu.edu.
• Resilience in Parkinson’s disease – this survey study is investigating how attitudes and resilience can help people with PD to live their life well.
  • Volunteers must must have a diagnosis of PD to be eligible to participate.
  • For more information, contact Dr. Sarah Lageman at 828-3747 or pdcenter@vcu.edu.

Visit our website to review the IRB approved flyers for these studies.

Sign up for our mailing list to receive research updates and announcements when new research projects begin enrolling.

Dystonia is a disorder involving excessive involuntary contraction of muscles with repetitive and patterned movements.  Researchers want to learn more about the causes of dystonia and how the symptoms of the disorder may progress over time.  To be eligible to participate, volunteers must be at least 18 years old and diagnosed with a primary dystonia.

Drs. Testa, Baron, and Cloud are conducting this observational study as part of a larger Dystonia Coalition project.  The coalition is an international collaboration of medical researchers and patient advocacy groups working to advance the pace of research in the dystonias to find better treatments and a cure.

For more information or to volunteer, please contact Ginger Norris at vwnorris@vcu.edu or (804) 828-3747.

Dr. Madaline Harrison presents at the Huntington Disease Community Education Day held at VCU on Saturday, May 4, 2013

The Virginia Commonwealth University Parkinson’s and Movement Disorders Center hosted the Huntington Disease Community Education Day on Saturday, May 4, 2013.

Sixty participants, made up of caregivers, people with HD, at-risk individuals, health professionals and students in the VCU OT and Genetics programs attended.  The workshop provided information about advances in Huntington Disease (HD) clinical care and treatment, research updates, and how to identify resources to improve quality of life.

Along with the VCU Parkinson’s and Movement Disorders Center, the seminar was co-sponsored by the Huntington’s Disease Society of America Center of Excellence at the University of Virginia.  The program was funded by an unrestricted education grant furnished by Lundbeck and a grant from the Washington Metro Chapter of the HDSA.

Please sign up for our electronic mailing list to receive information about future programs.

Essential tremor (ET), sometimes referred to as benign essential tremor, is a common movement disorder that causes rhythmic tremors or shaking.  It can affect a person’s hands, head, voice, legs or even body.  Many people in a family can have ET, but each individual may have different symptoms or severity.

This study is designed to learn more about essential tremor, including the possible cause(s), genetics, environmental factors, and symptoms.  Participants will be asked to sign a consent form, complete a questionnaire and donate a sample of blood.

If you have essential tremor, or a family history of essential tremor and would like more information about this study or would like to participate, please contact Ginger Norris at 828-3747 or vwnorris@vcu.edu.

Dr. James Bennett presents at Congressional Caucus

James P. Bennett, Jr, MD, PhD, director of the VCU Parkinson’s and Movement Disorders Center spoke about the aging brain at a Congressional Caucus hosted by the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation.

Dr. James Bennett, Bemiss Professor and Director of the VCU Parkinson’s and Movement Disorders Center, was invited to present to a Congressional Caucus hosted by the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation (UMDF).  The focus of the caucus was to provide a new perspective on chronic diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, aging, diabetes and cancer.

Dr. Bennett discussed how failing energy production from mitochondria is a fundamental cause of disease in multiple disorders, especially those of aging. Dr. Bennett, along with Mr. Cliff Gorski from UMDF, later met with representatives, to discuss implications of mitochondrial impairment and federal research funding.

The VCU Parkinson’s and Movement Disorders Center is co-hosting a Huntington Disease Community Education Day on Saturday, May 4, 2013.

Members of the Huntington Disease community are invited to attend this conference to learn about advances in clinical care and research, and how to identify resources to improve quality of life. The program features presentations by Dr. Karen Anderson from the Georgetown University HD Care, Education and Research Center and by Dr. Madaline Harrison from the HDSA Center of Excellence at the University of Virginia. They will discuss advances in HD research and clinical care. Breakout sessions will be offered for caregivers, people with HD, and at-risk individuals. Anyone interested in learning more about HD is welcome to attend.

View the agenda and register online.

Dr. Sarah Lageman and Andrea Garroway, M.S., a doctoral student in the VCU Department of Psychology are conducting this survey project, with a goal to better understand how people’s resilience and coping strategies can influence the relationship between PD symptoms and mental health.

Individuals who have received a PD diagnosis are eligible to participate in this survey study. The online survey takes about 30 minutes to complete.

Click here to access the survey.

Paper copies of the survey can be requested by contacting Dr. Sarah Lageman at pdcenter@vcu.edu or by calling (804) 828-3747.