Why We Do Research

Commencing in the early 1990's, the physician staff of the Fort Wayne Neurological Center has been actively involved in the field of neurological research. Dedication to this initiative has taken the form of physician effort to seek out and enroll patients in new studies that could benefit them from new medications, partnerships with research study development organizations, partnerships with local hospital research departments, partnerships with the regional medical school campus of Indiana University and deployment of research staff within the practice.

This active involvement and leadership by FWNC physicians has resulted in the Neurological Center participating in a great number of studies in the past seven years, including being the leading enroller of patients in several ground-breaking studies concerning in-patient diagnosis. This is a unique accomplishment considering that it has customarily been academic Neurology practices, affiliated with major medical schools and research hospitals who have led the way in enrolling their patients in research studies. Now in Fort Wayne the Neurological Center's patients are offered the same opportunities for new pharmacological medications that would have been possible at only a few major urban centers, out of the reach of any Tri-state patients and their family.

Past Research Studies Hosted at
Fort Wayne Neurological Center

Abbott/EPI - epilepsy Acetylcholine - stroke ACT - multiple sclerosis Allergan - headache/migraine (BOTOX®) ALZA Pain Management (Duragesic Patch) Atlantis - stroke Ancrod - stroke Asta-Medica - chronic, severe pain BMS - stroke Cambridge/CNS - stroke Cephalon - shift work sleep disorders (Provigil) Cerestat - traumatic brain injury Comtan - Parkinson's disease CoPolymer 1 - multiple sclerosis Daiichi - post stroke recovery with depression Eisai American/Quintiles Pacific - Alzheimer's Elan Pain/Clinimetrics - severe pain Eliprodil - stroke Endo - neuropathic pain Fiblast - stroke Gabatril - seizures Gain 2005 - stroke

Gain III - stroke Genetec/nerve growth factor - diabetic peripheral neuropathy Genzyme - multiple sclerosis Genzyme - Pompe disease Glaxo Wellcome, Imitrex - migraine headaches Idebenone - Alzheimer's Immunex multiple sclerosis (Novantrone) Indiana University - Alzheimer's Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research (vascular dementia) MINT/Bayer - Alzheimer's Ono - stroke Orphan - narcolepsy Pfizer - stroke Sanofi - Alzheimer's disease Sceptre - Parkinson's Scirex 4 AstaMedica - pain/chronic pain Schwarz - Parkinson's disease Serono - multiple sclerosis Topirimate - seizures TpA/Phase IV - stroke Trexima - migraine

Current Research Studies Underway at F.W.N.C.

• STROKE STUDIES
  We are currently enrolling patients in acute stroke studies. Strokes are a major cause of neurological-related deaths and disabilities. There are approximately 600,000 strokes annually in the U.S. with only one approved treatment currently available. Most people who experience a stroke wait an average of 22 hours to seek treatment. It is critical that people recognize the signs of a stroke and receive care at once. Signs of a stroke to recognize are: sudden weakness/numbness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body; sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding; sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes; sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination; sudden and severe headache with no known cause. If you or someone you know experiences any of these symptoms, seek care immediately. Every 53 seconds, someone in the U.S. has a stroke. The treatment currently approved for stroke has a window of administration of only 3 hours. The new agents that we are studying hope to be effective at reducing the potentially devastating side effects of a stroke. These studies are being offered to patients who receive their acute stroke care at Parkview Hospital or Lutheran Hospital.

  We are also currently enrolling patients in a trial who have patent foramen ovale (PFO).

• ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE
  We are currently enrolling in several studies. The requirements for the individual studies are different. Please contact the office for further details.

  The Brain Bank has been established as a resource for the collection of CNS specimens including brain, spinal cord, and related neurological tissues for the pathology and research into neurological disorders. The brain bank is currently seeking those with Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, stroke and other related conditions as well as healthy brain donors. They are studying and comparing changes occurring normally with age to those occurring with disease. Please call 260.460.3257 for additional information.

• MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS
  We are currently enrolling in studies that are comparing approved therapies, as well as trials of new compounds for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis and secondary progressive multiple sclerosis.

  We are also accepting patients with any type of multiple sclerosis to participate in a one time blood draw study. This genetic research is being conducted to bring us closer to a cure and develop a screening process for the future. Please call 260.460.3256 for further details.

General Information and Enrollment

Qualified participants will receive all study-related care at no charge, including physical examination, doctor's visits, laboratory services and study related medication.

Enrollment space for participants to any study is always limited and patients must meet all the required inclusion criteria. Each patient will be required to sign a liability waiver that acknowledges that they may receive a placebo (sugar pill) in place of medication if they are randomly selected to be in the control group rather than the treatment group. Further, participants will be required to sign waivers of liability to the Neurological Center, its physicians and to the sponsoring pharmaceutical company should they experience adverse effects of the medication.

Interested patients who may wish more information about participating in a study are welcome to call the F.W.N.C. Research Department at 260.460.3256 or you can email us at ann@fwnc.com or use the contact form below: