Premier Health partners with Dartmouth on research

Local Parkinson’s disease patients can participate in a research study by Premier Health and Dartmouth Medical Center.

Dayton-based Premier Health’s Clinical Neuroscience Institute and Dartmouth will study the effect exercise has on anxiety, fatigue and depression among Parkinson’s patients.

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At any time during the course of the disease, more than half of Parkinson's patients will experience any of these three symptoms, Premier said in a press release

“Everyone knows about the motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease such as tremor, slowness and rigidity,” stated Dr. Mary Feldman, the neurologist who will lead the study. “However, the non-motor symptoms are often more bothersome to patients and more difficult for us to treat. It is well-established that exercise is neuro-protective in Parkinson’s disease, but the problem is we don’t know which exercise is best.”

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The study will determine specifically if yoga, spinning or Parkinson’s dance (also known as “Dancing with Parkinson’s”) will work better for three prominent non-motor symptoms of the disease, Premier said.

The team of researchers will combine results, assess statistical significance from both Premier Health and Dartmouth Medical Center, and publish the study’s results, expected by the end of 2019.

If patients want to hear more about, or participate in the study, they can call 937-438-7500.

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