For more detailed information on available clinical trials, and the clinical trial process please view this section on the Parkinson Society Canada website.

Parkinson Society Central & Northern Ontario (CNO) does not have the resources to screen or evaluate the background, ethics or intent involved in this research proposal. CNO neither encourages nor discourages involvement in this project; however, we want to be sure that people with Parkinson's have the information they need to make an informed decision. Therefore, we share this information with the understanding that CNO assumes no liability for providing access to information and—if you are interested—encourages you to review the request and ensure that it will work for you, in consultation with your health care team, before proceeding to contact the research group.

Famotidine for the treatment of levodopa-induced dyskinesia: An "N-of-1" Study

Participants needed for a study on a new drug aimed at reducing dyskenesia.

Click here for more information.

Toronto Rehab/University of Toronto

Participants needed for power wheelchair study, who use a power chair or are in the process of obtaining a chair, and their caregivers.

Click here for more information, and here for the caregiver pamphlet.

Baycrest - Non Motor Fluctuation Assessment

Currently looking for participants with Parkinson's, taking levodopa medications who experience some degree of wearing off.

Click for more information.

University of Western Ontario - Parkinson Online Support Group Study

The main purpose of this study will be to investigate how matters of privacy change the way people make use of internet-based Parkinson’s Disease health care support groups.

More info.

Toronto Rehabilitation Institute - Evaluating the needs and experiences of older adults using power wheelchairs

This study is investigating the effectiveness, impact and relevance of wheeled mobility devices from the perspective of consumers, caregivers, health care providers, and funding agencies.

Click for more info.

Investigating the D3 Dopamine receptor and its relevance to treatment-induced complications in Parkinson’s disease

The goal of this study is to understand how long-term treatment with medication for Parkinson’s may lead to adverse side-effects. The specific aim of this study is to investigate whether medication used to treat Parkinson’s changes the number of dopamine receptors. We will focus on a receptor called the D3 dopamine receptor because of the recent finding from animal studies that it might be involved in treatment complications.

Click for more info, or, contact Isabelle Boileau, Ph.D., investigator, CAMH, 416-535-8501 ext 4918.

Investigating the Effects of Age and Parkinson's Disease on Touch-based Pointing and Dragging Tasks

Detection of Parkinson’s disease at the early stage is important to prevent the progression of the disease. However, it requires repeated assessments of a person’s motor abilities, and such repeated assessments are not always feasible. Thus, we are interested in exploring how to incorporate assessments into interactions which users frequently have with computer devices (e.g., mobile phone, touch tablets). In particular, we focus on mobile devices because the personal nature and regular use of mobile devices today makes it an ideal platform for collecting data to be used for repeated assessments of motor problems. To that end, we would like to investigate user performance of common tasks on mobile touch-screen devices (i.e.., a pointing task and a dragging task) with three participant groups (i.e., young adults, older adults and adults with Parkinson’s disease).

Click here for more information.

Investigational medication in Idiopathic Parkinson’s Disease (IPD) With Motor Fluctuations, as Add-on to Levodopa (SETTLE).

The investigational medication is an inhibitor of MAO-B (Monoamine-Oxidase-B). MAO-B compounds enhance the effect of dopamine by preventing its breakdown. The investigational medication is being studied as a phase III trial to evaluate its effectiveness and safety as add-on therapy to a stable dose of levodopa. The study will measure the increased daily "on" time for a person with Parkinson’s during an 18-hour diary-recording period.

The study is looking for men and women between the ages of 30 to 80 years with a confirmed diagnosis of Parkinson’s of more than 5 years. Participants should also be receiving treatment for their Parkinson’s symptoms with a stable dose of levodopa for at least 4 weeks.

Sites in CNO:

Recruiting participants for brain imaging research

Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (College Street site) is looking for participants for brain imaging research for understanding Parkinson’s disease. This study involves magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET).

Eligibility for patients:

• You have diagnosed of idiopathic Parkinson’s disease (Hoehn & Yahr, I-II).
• Be between the ages of 55 and 75 years old.
• No other history or indication of neurological or psychiatric illness.
• No metal implants or a cardiac pacemaker.
• The eligibility for the PET study may depend on the results of any part of the screening process (screening session, MRI study).

The test consists of three visits:

1. Pre-screening session : We will ask you some questions and test your eligibility. This session may take 40-60 minutes. We will schedule the next steps on this day.

2. MRI scan : 30-min MRI scan will be taken in the Toronto General Hospital. You should come to the meeting place at least 20min before the scan for changing clothes and instructions.

3. PET scan: 120-min PET scan will be taken in the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. You should come to the meeting place at least 60min before the scan. Arterial blood sampling is involved. Every step will be conducted on different days.

For further information, please call Dr. Ji Hyun Ko at 416-535-8501 ext. 7396 Or email us at jihyun.ko@camhpet.ca