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What
is a
Clinical
Trial?
How Does A
Clinical Research
Study Work?
Making
Your Decision To
Participate In A
Clinical Trial
Clinical
Trials
Referral
Consent
Form
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Referral
To
A
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Mental Health Information:
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In a one-year period,
up to 50 million Americans, more than 22 percent of the population,
suffer from a clearly diagnosable mental health condition involving some
degree of impairment.
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About 27% of
those who seek medical care for physical problems actually suffer
from a mental health condition.
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Although mental health conditions are
treatable, only 20% of individuals seek help.
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Mental health conditions rank #1 in
terms of causing disability in the United States. More disabilities than
ALL other diseases including cancer and heart disease.
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Mental health conditions account for
25% of all disabilities.
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Mental health conditions fill more hospital
beds than cancer, lung and heart disease combined and is the #1 reason
for an individual to occupy a hospital bed.
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The cost of mental illness to society,
including lost productivity, absenteeism, and substance abuse, exceeds
$ 180 billion a year.
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Recent research indicates severe mental
illness such as schizophrenia and manic depression (bipolar disorder) are
biochemically caused brain diseases. q 1/4 of all Social Security Disability
payments are for individuals with a severe mental illness.
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Some well-known people who suffered
from severe mental illness are Abraham Lincoln, Beethoven, Thelonious Monk,
Van Gogh, Issac Newton, Winston-Churchill, & Michelangelo.
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Despite media focus on the exceptions,
individuals receiving treatment for schizophrenia are no more prone to
violence than the general public. Unfortunately, almost one-third of all
U.S. jails incarcerate people with severe mental illnesses who have no
charges against them, but are merely waiting for psychiatric evaluation
or the availability of a psychiatric hospital bed. Today, roughly 283,000
people with severe mental illnesses are incarcerated in jails and prisons,
mostly for crimes they committed because they were not being treated for
their illness.
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Contrary to media focus, individuals
with mental illness are no more prone to violence than the general public,
and in fact, are more likely to be the victims of violence than the perpetrators.
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Alzheimer's Disease:
A progressive degenerative disease
of the brain that leads to Dementia.
On a cellular level, Alzheimer's
Disease is characterized by unusual Helical protein filaments in nerve
cells (Neurons) of the brain These odd Twisted filaments are called Neuromuscular
Tangles.
On a functional level, there is a
degeneration of the cortical regions, especially the frontal and temporal
lobes, of the brain.
Alzheimer's Disease is common. According
to The Alzheimer's Association, about 4 million Americans suffer from it.
Many prominent people have suffered from this disease.
Celebrities
with Alzheimer's Disease:
Alzheimer's disease, the most common
cause of dementia among people age 65 and older, affects an estimated 4
million Americans.
The Signs and Symptoms of Alzheimer's:
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Memory loss
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Confusion and disorientation
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Speech and language disturbance
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Impaired judgment
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Difficulty with familiar tasks
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Personality/mood changes
Self-neglect New
Treatments:
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New Treatments:
Alzheimer's Disease and Dementias
Niacin Intake May Protect Against
Alzheimer's Disease
High intake of niacin, particularly
from food sources, may reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease and age-related
cognitive decline, according to a report in the August issue of the Journal
of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry.
Good sources of niacin include:
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enriched and fortified grain products
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legumes like peas and beans
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meats, especially organ meats, like
liver
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poultry
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fish
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peanut butter
Niacin can be made in the body from
the amino acid known as tryptophan. Another B vitamin, Vitamin B6, is needed
to convert niacin to tryptophan. Amino acids are the building blocks of
proteins. So, protein-rich foods can be good sources of niacin. Examples
of these foods are:
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3 oz turkey = 4.5 mg of niacin
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peanut butter 2 Tbsp. = 4 mg of niacin
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3 oz tuna = 11.8 mg of niacin
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1 cup wheat flour = 7.4 mg of niacin
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1 cup cheerios = 5.0 mg of niacin
More
info
Galantamine Helps Alzheimer's
Patients Cope With Daily Life
Results of a study published in
the July issue of the Journal of the American Geriatric Society
suggest that galantamine stabilizes or improves activities of daily living
performance in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Galantamine has
a favorable effect on activities of daily living (ADL) performance in patients
with AD, detectable after 5 months of treatment, regardless of dementia
severity.
1
What Is A Clinical Trial?
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Clinical trials are carefully supervised
research studies whereby new investigational treatments and medications
are evaluated for safety and effectiveness by a medical team.
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Clinical research studies offer volunteers
the benefits of free physical exams, study related medical testing and
study medication. Many studies offer compensation for your time and travel.
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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
requires that all pharmaceutical companies thoroughly test new medications
before they become available to consumers. All medications in use today
– prescription and over-the-counter – were first proven safe and effective
in clinical trials.
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How Does A Clinical Research Study
Work?
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The clinical testing of an investigational
drug follows a carefully planned process whereby a volunteer's safety is
the top priority. Before a study medication is given to volunteers in a
clinical research study, it is carefully researched in the laboratory.
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Clinical research studies are reviewed
by Institutional Review Boards (IRB’s). IRB’s are independent committees
who oversee the study process and are designed to help protect the rights
and welfare of study volunteers.
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Making Your Decision To Participate
In
A Clinical Trial?
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As part of joining a clinical trial,
you will meet with healthcare professionals to discuss your current condition
and treatment, as well as to answer any other questions you may have. The
healthcare team will assess your eligibility for a study.
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When you participate in a clinical trial,
your privacy is protected. The study data that is provided to the pharmaceutical
company and the FDA generally does not include your name or the names of
other individuals participating in a study.
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As a study volunteer, you have the right
to discontinue your study participation at any time and for any reason.
To participate in a local clinical
trial, the first step is to complete the Clinical
Trials Referral Consent Form
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Depression:
An illness that involves the body,
mood, and thoughts, that affect the way a person eats and sleeps, the way
one feels about oneself, and the way one thinks. A Depression Disorder
is not the same as a passing Blue Mood. It is not a sign of a personal
weakness or a condition that can be wished away. People with a depressive
disease cannot merely "pull themselves together" and get better. Without
treatment, symptoms can last for week's, months, or years. Appropriate
treatment, however, can help most people with Depression.
Approximately 18.8 million American
adults, or about 9.5 percent of the U.S. population age 18 and older in
a given year, have a depressive disorder.
Nearly twice as many women (12.0
percent) as men (6.6) are affected by a depressive disorder each year.
These figures translate to 12.4 million women and 6.4 million men in the
U.S.
The Signs and Symptoms of Depression:
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Sadness
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Low energy
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Not enjoying life
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Decreased concentration
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Changes in sleep and appetite
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Bipolar Disorder (Manic Depression):
Sometimes called Manic Depression.
About 1 in 10 people who suffer from depression also have periods of "high"
or "manic" moods. These roller coaster moods swings can ruin the lives
of people suffering from these.
Bipolar disorder affects approximately
2.3 million Americans adults, or about 1.2 percent of the U.S. population
age 18 and older in a given year.
The Signs and Symptoms of Bipolar
Disorder:
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Alternating between Depressed and Mania
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Fast talking / Racing thoughts
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Reduced need for sleep
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Anxiety:
A feeling of apprehension and fear
characterized by physical symptoms such as palpitations, sweating, and
feelings of stress.
Approximately 19.1 million American
adults ages 18-54, or about 13.3 percent of the people in this age group
in a given year, have an anxiety disorder.
The Signs and Symptoms of Anxiety:
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Restlessness or feeling keyed up or
on the edge
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Being easily fatigued
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Difficulty concentrating
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Irritability
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Muscle tension -- shakiness, headaches
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Sleep disturbance (difficulty falling
or staying asleep; or restless, unsatisfying sleep)
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Excessive sweating, palpitations, shortness
of breath, and various gastrointestinal symptoms
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Schizophrenia:
Almost 2% of the population suffers
from a schizophrenia related disorder. Individuals with this condition
can experience a range of symptoms from extreme apathy to experiencing
hallucinations, paranoid and delusional thinking.
Approximately 2.2 million American
adults, or about 1.1 percent of the population age 18 and older in a given
year, have schizophrenia.
The Signs and Symptoms of Schizophrenia:
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Delusions, false ideas and or distortions
of reality Hallucinations such as hearing voices, or noises others can
not hear
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Sometimes individuals will hear there
own voice, the voice of loved ones or voices coming from the television
or radio.
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Paranoia such as believing they are
being followed or watched Thought insertion and/or broadcasting such as
believing ones thoughts are not private or that other people's thoughts
are coming into his/her head.
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Disorganized speech and thoughts such
as moving from one topic to another, not making sense or rhyming words.
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A lack of motivation and activity. The
person may spend most or all of his/her time alone and may speak very little
and have little desire to do anything.
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Flat or blunted facial and verbal expression.
The person may speak in a monotone and show very little emotion and/or
a decrease in hand and body gestures.
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