Now, keep up to date
with daily feeds of newly posted stories
about America's Seniors...click on the box
to the left
The
National Parkinson Foundation awards five
grants for the Falls Prevention Initiative
MIAMI, Jan. 2 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/
-- The National Parkinson Foundation (NPF)
awarded five grants for the Falls Prevention
Initiative, studying new evidence-based
interventions aimed at preventing falls in
people with Parkinson's disease.
The Falls Prevention Initiative awarded
grants to five different research projects
at NPF Centers of Excellence in
the Netherlands, Israel,
Canada, and the United
States.
NPF supports a strong network of Centers of
Excellence dedicated to providing
comprehensive, interdisciplinary care to
more than 50,000 Parkinson's patients and
their families.
Falls are a common and devastating
consequence of Parkinson's disease and have
an enormous impact on the physical and
mental well-being of affected patients.
Preliminary results of all five studies will
be presented in December of 2009 at the
annual National Parkinson Foundation Centers
Leadership Conference.
"The Falls Prevention Initiative is part of
the National Parkinson Foundation's ongoing
efforts to ensure that people with
Parkinson's disease have access to the most
comprehensive and highest quality care
possible," said Joyce Oberdorf,
President and CEO of the National Parkinson
Foundation in Miami.
"We look forward to working with the grant
recipients in supporting research that will
have an immediate impact on the lives of
Parkinson's disease patients worldwide."
The following NPF Falls Prevention
Initiative studies have been funded:
1) Nijmegen Parkinson Center: This study
will investigate the efficacy of a
multifactorial falls prevention program
using tailored treatment strategies.
Bastiann Bloem, MD, PhD, Nijmegen,
Netherlands.
2) Nijmegen Parkinson Center and Tel Aviv
Sourasky Medical Center: This study will
validate devices aimed at measuring both the
quality and quantity of activity patterns
while patients move in their own environment
during a prolonged time period.
Bastiaan Bloem, MD, PhD and
Marten Munneke, PT, PhD, Nijmegen,
Netherlands; Nir Giladi,
MD and Jeffrey Hausdorff,
PhD, Tel Aviv, Israel.
3) University of British Colombia Pacific
Parkinson's Research Center: This study will
identify new variables for screening PD
subjects at risk for falling, and help to
focus rehabilitation efforts to reduce the
current risk of falls. Mark
Carpenter, PhD and Martin
McKeown, PhD, Vancouver,
British Columbia.
4)
Struthers Parkinson's Center: This study will develop a balance
assessment tool specific for Parkinson's
disease and a "PD Falls Assessment Toolkit."
Sotirios Parashos MD, PhD and
Catherine Wielinski MPH,
Minneapolis.
5) The Movement Disorders Center at Beth
Israel
Medical Center: This study will determine if
individuals with PD who receive a
three-month clinical Qi Gong intervention
experience fewer falls. Sheree
Loftus Fader, MSN, APRN,
New York.
NPF Chapters Support Initiative
To further understand how falls can be
prevented, the following NPF Chapters
sponsored the Falls Prevention Initiative:
South Palm Beach County Chapter of the NPF,
Boca Raton, FL
Parkinson Association of Minnesota,
Plymouth
Parkinson Association of Northern
California, Sacramento
Hawaii Parkinson Association,
Honolulu
Parkinson's Resources of Oregon,
Portland
Parkinson's Support Group of Upstate NY
Parkinson Association of Illinois,
Chicago
NPF Orange County Chapter, Newport
Beach, CA
About the National Parkinson Foundation
Since 1982, NPF has funded more than
$140 million in care, research,
outreach and support services for its
Centers network, addressing unmet needs at
all stages of Parkinson's disease. In FY
2009, NPF funded a total of nearly $9
million in programs dedicated to
Parkinson's disease.
Founded in 1957, the National Parkinson
Foundation's mission is to improve the
quality of Parkinson's care and develop
exemplary care for this generation of
Parkinson's patients through research,
education, and outreach.
For more information about Parkinson's
disease or the National Parkinson
Foundation, please visit
www.parkinson.org or call
800-327-4545.
... ..
...
...