Can You Help Find A cure For Alzheimers?

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Sep 05, 2019

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Absolutely, finding better treatments and cures for diseases takes a large team, from basic science to clinical researchers, medical teams, clinics,
hospitals, research centers and most importantly, participants who volunteer to be in clinical studies also known as clinical trials. Dr. Kerwin, with the assistance of participants like you who volunteer to be in clinical studies, has specialized in clinical trial research for Alzheimers and other neurodegenerative diseases for more than 15 years. While many people have a general concept of what a clinical trial involves, for most, the process is unfamiliar and in this article we will provide an overview of what to expect and an understanding of the process.
A few definitions:
Study Participant: a person who volunteers to be in a clinical trial/study, signs informed consent to under-go study procedures such as blood work, imaging, completing questionnaires, memory testing, etc.
Informed Consent: the process of learning about the possible risk and benefits of being in a study before volunteering to participate, the study team is responsible for giving you this information and answering questions before the study begins.
Ethics Committee/institutional Review Board (iRB): this is an independent committee that provides oversight for participation safety during a clinical trial. All clinicaltrials must have IRB approval and oversight. Protocol: the study plan developed by the research team to determine if a medication is effective over current treatment or no treatment.
During a clinical trial, participants receive an investigational treatment according to a research protocol and under the close supervision of a physician and research team. The goal of the clinical trial is to determine if the treatment is safeand effective for the disease being treated.are there potential benefits? Participating in a clinical trial provides the opportunity to:
Have a more active role in your healthcare

Help improve medical care for others by contributing to medical research

Are there potential risks?
As with any medical intervention there are risks of participating in a clinical trial that are discussed with you in detail before you consent to be a participant in any clinical study.
Dr. Kerwin and Kerwin Research Center specialize in clinical trials for the treatment and prevention of neurologic diseases such as Alzheimers, Lewy Body Disease, Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, Multi-system Atrophy, Mild cognitive impairment. To find out about current clinical trials in the DFW area call 214345-4449 or visit: www.KerwinResearchCenter.com or www.clincialtrials.gov.
Editors Note: This article was submitted by Diana Kerwin, MD. Dr. Kerwin is the medical director of the Kerwin Research Center & Memmory Care. She is board-certified in internal medicine and geriatrics. She may be reached at 214-345-4449.

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