We have enrolled 26 participants with Parkinson Disease for the NET-PD LS-1 study. Specific to our site is our location in Brooklyn, NY with a large immigrant and indigent population. We have been most successful, among the research sites, to enroll minority patients While our recruitment is successful, we have experienced that retention is more difficult.. Many of our patients do not have telephones and are generally not handy with electronic media. Furthermore many of our patients from the Caribbean area return home in the cold months. We have developed novel strategies, including grassroot networking in our population and individualized medical and non-medical approaches including getting familiar with their social life. In order to enhance retention we developed a novel method of offering periodical free vision testing. The testing provides an incentive for our patients to retun for visits.
Parkinson's Disease (PD) is a, neurodegenerative disorder, which is characterized clinically by tremor, rigidity, bradykinesia and postural instability. In addition to the progressive impairment of motor function, many patients experience cognitive deterioration and disorders of mood and behavior. LS1 will help to determine if creatine can slow clinical decline and provide vital information on the course of both motor and non-motor features of PP.
