CenExel is currently seeking healthy adult volunteers to participate in a clinical study on Parkinson’s disease. According to the National Parkinson’s Foundation, Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative brain disorder that progresses slowly and can take years to develop. When a person has Parkinson’s disease, their brain slowly stops producing dopamine, which helps regulate their movements, body, and emotions. Constipation, cramping, and bloating are all common among people with Parkinson’s. These issues can be caused both by the disease itself and by the medications used to treat it. Many people live for years with the disease, but the associated complications can often be fatal.
The following are common symptoms of Parkinson’s disease:
- Tremors with high amplitude and lower, slower frequency
- Tremors mostly seen at rest
- In addition to tremors, slow movements, stiffness, and problems with walking or balance
- Usually starts on one side of the body and progresses to the other side; usually remains asymmetrical
- Rarely a family history
- Trouble sleeping, moving, or walking
- Smaller handwriting, loss of smell, constipation, a soft or low voice, dizziness or fainting, stooping or hunching over
There is no standard treatment for Parkinson’s disease. Current available treatments include medication, surgery, and lifestyle modifications. Research is being conducted to determine the most effective treatments to reduce symptoms of Parkinson’s, as well as treatments that reduce side effects associated with Parkinson’s medication, like constipation.