SAM ROWLANDS, Member of the Welsh Parliament for North Wales, is calling on people with Parkinson’s disease who have slow mobility to take part in a UK wide trial.
Mr Rowlands is backing a call from Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board who are seeking volunteers to help in a clinical study.
He said: “I am delighted to see BCUHB have been asked to participate in this Parkinsons’s disease trial, one of only eight sites across the UK being selected for the study.
“Parkinson’s is a debilitating disease and it is good to see this sort of research being carried out to try and improve the lives of those who suffer from this.
“I would urge anyone who is eligible to sign up for the trial, as you could be helping to make a difference in the future.”
The Health Board’s neurological physiotherapy and research teams are looking for volunteers who are interested in trialling an existing treatment used with multiple sclerosis and stroke patients to assess whether it could aid the mobility of those with Parkinson’s disease.
Called functional electrical stimulation (FES), the treatment involves wearing a small device on the user’s leg which delivers an electrical impulse to nerves. This effectively moves leg muscles and hopefully will improve the gait of the user. People with Parkinson’s disease can have trouble with walking due to slow movements (bradykinesia), freezing and falls.
Not only has the device worked for many stroke patients but it has worked in a small study of Parkinson’s patients too. The new study, called STEPS II, is looking to confirm whether it’s a useful treatment for bradykinesia, how it works and if it has any other potential benefits.
Julia Roberts, a clinical research specialist officer with the Health Board, revealed the team in North Wales is looking for patients to populate the study.
She said: “Our goal within the research department in BCUHB is to ensure today’s research makes a difference to tomorrow’s care. Every week, hundreds of people in Wales help with health and social care research. Good research helps us find new treatments and improve services.
“Our target for BCUHB is to recruit 24 patients into the STEPS ll study. The research and development team within BCUHB are currently working with the neurological physiotherapy department to support this.”
The trial is a randomised controlled trial, meaning those taking part will be randomly assigned to one of two groups. The first group will get their usual care, acting as aa control group for the study. The second group will receive the FES and their usual care for a period of 18 weeks. The whole trial will last for 22 weeks. Those taking part in the study will be paid for their time and will receive expenses while participating in the trial.
If you have Parkinson’s disease and think you would be suitable for this study, or would like further details, please contact either: [email protected], or [email protected]
