Researchers at the McGuire Veterans Affairs Medical Center (MVAMC) bring to the Parkinson Disease (PD) Neuroprotection Clinical Trial Group exceptional expertise, outstanding clinical and laboratory resources, and a qualified and motivated patient population from which to recruit subjects. The McGuire Parkinson Disease Research, Education, and Clinical Center (PADRECC) provides PD treatment for military personnel and veterans throughout the southeastern United States, ranging from Pennsylvania down to Florida (including Puerto Rico) and west to the Mississippi River. Veterans with PD from this entire region are referred to MVAMC for treatment. Native Americans in this region seeking treatment for PD and patients referred from private practice are also eligible to attend the MVAMC PADRECC. This combined pool of potential study participants will exceed the enrollment needs for a member site of the proposed PD Neuroprotection Clinical Trial Group. The research mission of the MVAMC PADRECC is to establish a center of excellence for clinical trials, emerging biomolecular strategies, and integrated health services. The MVAMC and its affiliate university, Virginia Commonwealth University/Medical College of Virginia Hospitals (VCU/MCVH), boast a talented group of scientist-practitioners with a broad range of clinical interests and research expertise related to PD. The MVAMC PADRECC personnel, resourc6s, and patient population will be available for the PD Neuroprotection Clinical Trial Group. MVAMC investigators have a long history of excellent recruitment and retention capabilities and a supportive clinical environment in which to conduct studies. Their history of participation in multicenter trials managed by pharmaceutical companies, the Parkinson Study Group, and the NIH demonstrate their commitment to cooperative research projects. MVAMC investigators will cooperate fully with all other centers in the PD Neuroprotection Clinical Trial Group in the conduct of each pilot and main study to test agents approved by the Oversight and Steering Committees.
