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If People do not Participate in Clinical Trials, there will be no Cure

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Advocating for clinical trials
Source: YouTube screen capture

Jean Burns's strong belief in the benefits of clinical trials began when years ago she was researching for something to help with her Parkinson's disease, an incurable condition. She first noticed an intermittent tremor in one finger of her left hand. Six months later she became aware of the concept of clinical trials and then found out about a trial on GDNF gene therapy that had the potential to slow down her disease.

Jean learned that clinical trials have very strict requirements and criteria that participants must qualify for before being accepted into a trial. And equally important,  a patient should really understand everything about a trial before deciding if it is something to commit to.

After reading about the potential things that could go wrong during her treatment, Jean nearly refused the trial, but her rapidly declining health convinced her she had to take the risk.

During her five year commitment to the trial, she underwent MRI-guided brain surgery, nine MRIs, three PET scans, and three lumbar procedures.

Jean's experiences with clinical trials has made her a strong advocate. She believes that by volunteering for clinical trials, you don't have to sit back and simply allow a disease to take over your body. For Jean, it is her "way of fighting back," and also gives her the ability to contribute to the growing body of knowledge about a particular illness – a gift to the world and to many others who will be diagnosed with a disease in the future.

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Although it is anyone's right to halt participation in a clinical trial at any time, she strongly stresses the idea that the more people that stay on for the duration of a trial, the more we can learn about the disease or the possible cures.



Jean has served as the co-Chair of the Advocates for Parkinson Committee for the fourth World Parkinson Congress, was a member of the WPC 2016 Steering Committee, and presented at 5th World Parkinson Congress in Kyoto.

"Before me, there were hundreds and thousands of other people with Parkinson's who participated in clinical trials that gave me the ability to have the medications that I take today. If people today do not participate in clinical trials, there will be no cure. There will be no new medications."
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About Parkinson's Disease


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This content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice or to take the place of such advice or treatment from a personal physician. All readers/viewers of this content are advised to consult their doctors or qualified health professionals regarding specific health questions. CenTrial Data Ltd. does not take responsibility for possible health consequences of any person or persons reading or following the information in this educational content. Treatments and clinical trials mentioned may not be appropriate or available for all trial participants. Outcomes from treatments and clinical trials may vary from person to person. Consult with your doctor as to whether a clinical trial is a suitable option for your condition. Assistance from generative AI tools may have been used in writing this article.