As outlined in this RFA (RFA-NS-02-010) announcement, the aims of this project are to create a clinical center for the conduct of future clinical trials of neuroprotection for Parkinson's disease. This site has three board-certified neurologists trained in movement disorders who will participate in this proposed project. Upon implementation of this project these neurologists will collaborate to conduct a pilot trial of an agent to prevent disease progression in PD. Subsequently, additional collaboration with the other clinical center sites will lead to at least one multicenter trial. This project will help to maintain a stable infrastructure for the administration of the clinical trial(s) in neuroprotection related to Parkinson's disease. In addition, the conduct of this type of clinical trial(s) will generate a sample of patients with early PD who may be willing to participate in genetic studies. Similarly, subjects may be willing to participate in studies to identify markers from blood or cerebrospinal fluid that may indicate disease presence or severity. This research may lead to a greater understanding of PD and better treatments.
