WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has taken a major step toward improving care and pursuing a cure for Parkinson’s disease by creating six new centers specializing in research, education and clinical care and committing more than $30 million to support the centers over the next four years.
“VA recognizes the importance of supporting research and clinical activities to enhance the care for patients with this disabling neurological disorder,” said Dr. Thomas L. Garthwaite, VA’s Under Secretary for Health.
“By establishing these six specialized centers, we will enable top VA researchers, clinicians and educators to better understand Parkinson’s disease, develop more effective treatments and clinical care strategies for patients, and improve education for caregivers,” he said.
The centers, named Parkinson’s Disease Research, Education and Clinical Centers (PADRECCs), will be established this year at VA medical centers in Houston, Philadelphia, Portland (Ore.), Richmond, San Francisco and West Los Angeles.
Operating as a national consortium, the new centers will function similarly to VA’s Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Centers (GRECCs) and Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Centers (MIRECCs).
Each Parkinson’s center will conduct research covering basic biomedicine, rehabilitation, health services delivery and clinical trials. In addition, each center will participate in a landmark clinical trial to assess the effectiveness of surgical implantation of deep brain stimulators in reducing the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.
Parkinson’s disease is slowly progressive and caused by degeneration of cells in a region of the midbrain that produces the chemical and neurotransmitter dopamine. Symptoms are characterized by tremors, slowness of movement, stiffness of limbs and gait or balance problems. While treatments exist, there is no cure for this debilitating disease.
Parkinson’s disease is a serious health problem in the United States. The National Parkinson Foundation, Inc. (NPF) estimates that up to 1.5 million Americans have the disease and that approximately 50,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. VA medical centers treat at least 20,000 Parkinson’s disease patients each year.
Creation of the new centers represents the second substantial VA initiative regarding Parkinson’s disease in two years. In 1999, VA and the NPF signed an agreement to establish the NPF-VA alliance to cure Parkinson’s disease.
“This is an historic opportunity for VA and a continuation of VA’s commitment to provide the best care for our veterans,” said Garthwaite. “We are very optimistic that VA’s support for this research, clinical care, and education effort will result in significant progress. It provides additional hope for veterans and all Americans affected by Parkinson’s disease.”
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