The long-term objectives are to develop a neuroprotective strategy that can be applied to patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) in order to alter disease progression, and to evaluate in the setting of a multi-center clinical trial the efficacy of any such strategies. In PD, there is a prolonged course of progressive neuronal loss which is not altered by existing treatments. The development of neuroprotective strategies is therefore important to lessen the medical, societal, and economic impact of PD-related disability Patients will be recruited with early Parkinson's disease who have been symptomatic for fewer than five years, and who have received levodopa or dopamine agonists for no more than six months. Patients will be followed clinically over a period of three years to assess the potential neuroprotective benefit associated with a drug or drugs chosen by the Steering Committee. Although the multi-center trial will be based on clinical rather than surrogate endpoints, at this site, magnetic resonance imaging will be used to obtain a quantitative index of regional brain iron concentration which we hypothesize to correlate with disease progression.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Type
Cooperative Clinical Research--Cooperative Agreements (U10)
Project #
5U10NS044426-09
Application #
8033153
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZNS1-SRB-L (01))
Program Officer
Moy, Claudia S
Project Start
2002-09-30
Project End
2012-11-30
Budget Start
2010-12-01
Budget End
2011-11-30
Support Year
9
Fiscal Year
2011
Total Cost
$49,918
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Alberta
Department
Type
DUNS #
208095844
City
Edmonton
State
AB
Country
Canada
Zip Code
T6 2-E1