Every Parkinson’s medical trial needs healthy non-affected volunteers as the “control” side of experiments testing effectiveness in the battle against Parkinson’s disease, as well as willing participants who are Parkinson’s patients. Don’t panic, we’re not talking about taking anything dangerous or beyond your comfort level, but these research studies rely on willing volunteers to help assess the effectiveness of ways to diagnose, treat, and defeat Parkinson’s. Every trial has extensive and carefully followed and monitored protocols, and, of course, you would never register for something that makes you uncomfortable. In most instances, your reaction when learning about a particular volunteer study need, will be, “Oh, is that all?”
The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research now has a new tool, the Fox Trial Finder, working like the most health-changing dating service you can imagine — it links willing volunteers to trials that are so dependent on us for success in observational clinical trials (involving no drugs or treatments) and interventional clinical trials, where new treatments, vitamin and mineral plans, lifestyle change tests, detection and diagnostic methods, quality of life studies, and more are tested.
Fox, because of his fame and high profile before and since his diagnosis with Parkinson’s, has been responsible for shining so much important light on this issue and tirelessly working to find a cure for the five million Parkinson’s patients worldwide.
All you need to do is create a profile so studies can find you and let you know about opportunities to participate and be part of the answer for any trials that feel right for you. It’s important and heroic work, and a volunteer opportunity to truly leave a legacy.
Check it out and learn more:
Change by Doing 