Parkinson’s patients desperately needed medical experimentation to save it from the garbage heap –

Millions of pounds of research on life-changing treatments for Parkinson’s risk to disappoint patients as a blow.

Experts warn that the search for a cure or drug that relieves symptoms may be delayed for years or never go unnoticed if trials are forced to close.

Parkinson’s UK says the five active studies on the disease, which affects 145,000 people in the UK, are severely understaffed and at risk of discontinuation.

When the pandemic hit in 2020, these investigations had to shut down their sites and suspend investigations to protect people and reassign frontline personnel against Covid.

They have since reopened and continued to recruit, but they are running out of time to find enough volunteers to make sure they can keep up. Parkinson’s UK and other lenders have already invested millions of pounds in trials, which are expected to hit thousands by autumn.

The charity warned that this money would be “wasted” if cases were closed prematurely. “Without these studies, there may be a risk that important new treatments may be delayed for years or not found at all,” he said.

Parkinson’s UK spends around £10 million each year on research in hopes of finding drugs that can alleviate symptoms or slow the progression of the disease.

Evidence plays a vital role in proving that new treatments are both safe and effective.

The data collected is necessary to obtain a license for new treatments and to make Parkinson’s patients accessible.

Each of the risk studies looks for people who meet certain criteria, such as anxiety, falling, hallucinations or bad moods. Patients without Parkinson’s are also asked to volunteer for one of them.

A sticky drop patch trial takes three months to find 300 participants, and a trial with a wrist-worn device that can control contamination should have 3,000 participants in four months.

Another explores whether an existing drug could help Parkinson’s hallucinations, and a fourth seeks to better understand anxiety in people with and without the disease.

Fifth, she is testing a treatment for depressed mood in Parkinson’s and investigating whether it can slow the progression of the condition.

Professor David Dexter, deputy director of research at Parkinson’s UK, said: “There is little time for testing because there is only limited funding and staffing costs are the most expensive.

More than 60,000 people are diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease each year. Neurodegenerative movement disorder can cause impairment in motor skills, balance, language, and sensory function, and there is currently no cure, making the challenge of slowing progression a top priority for patients. Pictured are the participants of the Rock Steady boxing class at Friendship Haven, Iowa, on June 15. They end each lesson with a hug and repeat their slogan: “We are stronger than Parkinson”

“There are certain recruitment milestones that the studies need to reach, or funding and support may be cut off.”

“For decades we’ve worked hard to create revolutionary new ways to deal with Parkinson’s, investing millions of pounds to deliver life-changing treatments with the goal of finally finding a cure.

“Still, while these new therapies are almost within reach, they are unfortunately out of our reach…

‘Without [more volunteers]these studies are in danger of being discontinued, which brings us no closer to providing new treatments for the 145,000 Parkinson’s patients in the UK”.

He said: “A number of processes have understandably been interrupted during the pandemic to help protect people and reassign frontline personnel.

“Now that they are back in business, the recruiting battle is putting at risk the millions of pounds invested by Parkinson’s UK and other lenders, and with it the hopes of helping thousands of patients live their best lives as they continue to seek a cure.” .

Details on how to volunteer can be found on the help website pages.

‘I Collided With A Strange Figure On The Stairs’: Radio Legend David ‘Kid’ Jensen Reveals Hallucinations Caused by Parkinson’s Disease Animates Images of Non-existent Humans and Animals

Announcer David Jensen described seeing hallucinations caused by Parkinson’s disease when he urged others with the condition to participate in a clinical trial.

The 72-year-old TV and radio host said he saw a dog that “doesn’t really exist” and that “when I got up at night he bumped into a strange figure on the stairs”.

The devoted Radio 1 DJ, nicknamed ‘The Boy’ at the age of 18, when he was the youngest radio presenter in Europe, has been living with the disease for over ten years.

He said hallucinations were “part of my life.”

He invites others with Parkinson’s and Lewy body dementia to join a process called Top Hat to see if the inexpensive drug ondansetron can relieve hallucinations.

It is funded by Parkinson’s UK and operated by University College London and has pilot sites across the UK.

Announcer David Jensen described seeing hallucinations caused by Parkinson’s disease when he invited others to participate in a clinical trial.

The former Top Of The Pops host said the attendance “give me a strong and hopeful feeling for future treatments for Parkinson’s.”

“I would also like to appeal to loved ones with these conditions to encourage them to participate in this and other groundbreaking research.

“Since being diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2011, I’ve learned that this is a situation full of surprises.

“Many people know about symptoms like stiffness and tremors, but there are actually more than 40, including hallucinations.

“Although hallucinations are not something most people identify with the condition, about three-quarters of people with Parkinson’s may experience them at some point.

“The drugs currently available to treat visual hallucinations are less than ideal because they can worsen Parkinson’s symptoms or have serious side effects.”

The clinical trial is funded by Parkinson’s UK and managed by clinical research sites in the UK and University College London.

The staunch Radio 1 DJ nicknamed ‘Kid’ (pictured at his home in Esher with his wife, Gudren), while at the age of 18 is Europe’s youngest radio host, he has been living with the disease for over a decade.

Jensen added: “Without the people who come forward to participate in the trials, advances in Parkinson’s research would be impossible. “We can all play a role in finding new life-changing treatments.”

Caroline Rassell, CEO of Parkinson’s UK, said: “While the most well-known symptoms of Parkinson’s are tremors, sluggishness and stiffness, there are actually more than 40 possible symptoms, including hallucinations, depression and pain.

“So we are so grateful to David and others like him who are involved in the work to help us find a cure.

“As the Top Hat study examined the effects of an already approved low-cost drug, ondansetron could be available to people with Parkinson’s dementia or Lewy bodies who experience hallucinations within a few years if the research shows significant results.” .

“At Parkinson’s UK we are proud to fund research into the most promising treatments, taking us closer to a cure every day.”

For more information visit www.parkinsons.org.uk/research/take-part-research.