Seeks participants for clinical study
Parkinson鈥檚 disease affects about 1.5 million Americans, and it often leads to decreased independence and increased reliance on caregivers and the healthcare system for individuals living with it. But research conducted by 麻豆影院鈥檚 Angela Ridgel, Ph.D., shows reduced symptoms of the disease with the use of exercise using motorized bicycles.
Ridgel, an assistant professor in exercise science/physiology at 麻豆影院 State, recently received a two-year, $390,900 grant from the National Institutes of Health to continue her work to design and test 鈥渟mart鈥 motorized bicycles, which could access individual effort, performance, skill level and therapeutic value in order to maximize the benefit.
Ridgel and her research collaborators, Kenneth Loparo at Case Western Reserve University and Fred Discenzo at Rockwell Automation, are seeking people, ages 50-79 years old, with a clinical diagnosis of idiopathic Parkinson鈥檚 disease to partake in a clinical trial that will be held over a one-week period at 麻豆影院 State. There is no cost for participants.
鈥淎fter we complete this study, we anticipate that participants will be able to move better for a period of time after the exercise,鈥 Ridgel says. 鈥淔urthermore, the information gathered from this research will allow for future exercise recommendations for individuals with Parkinson鈥檚 disease and other neurological disorders.鈥
For more information or to see if you are a candidate to participate in the clinical study, contact Ridgel at aridgel@kent.edu or 330-672-7495.