Research Program

Goals

Our research efforts are dedicated to advancing in the knowledge of the causes, underlying mechanisms that lead to the development of Parkinsonian, Dementia and Dystonia Disorders and search for the best possible treatments. Through our research we strive to identify the most effective interventions and continue the progress toward an eventual cure for these disorders. 

• Increase understanding of causes 
• Refining and developing symptomatic and biologic interventions
• Improve understanding of non-motor functions

Clinical Research

Davunetide Study

A new drug for the treatment of Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) has been granted orphan drug status by the United States Food and Drug Admnistration (FDA) and will be ready for expanded human clnical trials in the near future.  Preliminary animal and Phase II human trials have shown that Davunetide, a creation of Allon Therapeutics, Inc., has potential as a treatment for amnestic mild cognitiive impairment in both Alzheimer's and PSP.  In addition, the FDA has granted Davunetide "orphan drug" status, which will grant Allon financial assistance and expedited review processes in order to accelerate the development and testing of Davunitide as a treatment for PSP. 

The University of Louisville Division of Movement Disorders plans to participate in upcoming Davunetide human clinical trials, more inforamtion will be made available as details emerge. 

For more information on Davunetide, Allon Therepeutics, Inc., and orphan drugs, please visit Allon's official press release. 

NP-12 Study

The pharmaceutical company Noscira is testing a drug, NP-12, believed to be effective in the treating symptoms of taopathies, such as progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) Alzheimer's disease (AD), and corticobasal degeneration (CBD).  A Phase II trial testing the efficacy of the drug in treating PSP is underway and the University of Louisville Division of Movement Disorders will be enrolling patients for this study in the near future.  Details will be made available as soon as they are released. 

 For more information on NP-12 and Noscira, please visit Noscira's website.  For questions about recruitment, please contact our Clinical Research Nurse, Annette Robinson, RN, BSN, CCRC at (502) 540-3585 or via email at annette.robinson@louisville.edu. 

QE3 Study

The University of Louisville Division of Movement Disorders is currently enrolling patients in a study funded by the National Institutes of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) to determine if coenzyme Q10 can slow the progression of early stage Parkinson's disease by comparing the effect of coenzyme Q10 in subjects with early Parkinson's disease to the effect of a pill with no drug. 

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ) is a vitamin-like substance that is naturally made by the body, it is used for cell growth and to protect cells from damage.  As individuals age, the level of CoQ present in their bodies decline.  Low levels of CoQ have been reported in some patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). 

Enrollment for this study is limited to patients who have not had previous treatment for PD (amongst other criteria). 

If you are interested in participating in this study, please contact Annette Robinson, RN, BSN, CCRC at (502) 540-3585 or by email at annette.robinson@louisville.edu. 

COHORT Study

The University of Louisville, Division of Movement Disorders in collaboration with the Huntington Study Group (HSG) are collecting data from individuals who are part of a HD family, in order to relate phenotypes between individuals and families with each other and genetic factors in order to learn more about HD, develop potential treatments, and to plan for future research studies of experimental drugs aimed at slowing or postponing the onset and progression of HD. 

To participate in this study you must have a confirmatory family history of HD defined by the presence of either: 1) a parent or sibling with clinically diagnosed features of HD or 2) a first-degree relative (parent, sibling, child) known to be a carrier of the HD gene through pre-symptomatic DNA testing.  This study is sponsored by HP Therapeutics Foundation, Inc. For more information about recruitment, please contact our Clinical Research Nurse, Annette Robinson, RN, BSN, CCRC at (502) 540-3585 or via email at annette.robinson@louisville.edu

CREST-E Study

The University of Louisville, Division of Movement Disorders in collaboration with the Huntington Study Group (HSG)is currently enrolling patients in a study examining the effects of creatine monohydrate (HD-02) on the progression of functional decline in Huntington's disease as measured by the change in the Total Functional Capacity (TFC) scale over a period of 36 months.  This study is sponsored by the NIH, National Center for Complementary & Alternative Medicine (NCCAM). For more information about recruitment, please contact our Clinical Research Nurse, Annette Robinson, RN, BSN, CCRC at (502) 540-3585 or via email at annette.robinson@louisville.edu

Cognitive/Neuropsychiatric Studies

Toronto MOCA Study

The Micheal J. Fox Foundation is funding a study conducted by Toronto Western Hospital that validaes he Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale used to diagnose mild cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease (PD). 

20-80% of patients with PD will develop dementia over time.  There is increasing recognitiion of cognitive impairment not meeting criteria for dementia in PD and the utility of the PD-Mild Cogntivie Impairment (MCI) concept.  Recognition of MCI is important to direct treatment decisions and to reduce morbidity.  Once disease-modifying therapies become available, early detection of MCI will be even more important.  A brief tool is needed that assesses a broad range of cognitive domains and can be used by clinicians for cognitive screening and to follow patients over time.  This study will determine the effectiveness of this tool against other tools used such as the Mini-Mental State Examination. 

The University of Louisville Division of Movment Disorders is participating in this study and enrollment of patients will begin soon.  Pleave visit the Michael J. Fox Foundation website for more information or contact Annette Robinson, RN, BSN, CCRC at (502)540-3585 or by email at annette.robinson@louisville.edu. 

Depression Study

A study about Depression in PD Patients...  details coming soon!  

Epidemiological Studies

Genetic and Environmental Risk Factors for PSP

Funded in 2006 by an R01 Grant from the National Institutes of Health, the purpose of this six-year project is to identify environmental factors that may lead to increased risk of the development of Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) and to more firmly establish the relationship between genetic predisposition to PSP and environmental risks.  This case controlled, multi-center study is being led by the Division of Movement Disorders at the University of Louisville and involves researchers from Baylor Medical College in Huston, TX; Case Western Reserve in Cleveland, OH; Emory School of Medicine in Atlanta, GA; University of Alabama at Birmingham in Birmingham, AL; UCLA in Los Angeles, CA; University of Maryland in Baltimore, MD; University of Colorado in Denver, CO; University of Washington in Seattle, WA; University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, KS; Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, IL; Toronto Western Hospital in Toronto, Ontario Canada; University of Utah in Salt Lake City, UT.  Physicians and patients are encouraged to be involved in this study that has the potential to disentangle the causes of this devastating disease. To learn more about this study or to enroll at one of our sites, please visit http://www.pspstudy.com/ .