Neuroscience research is essential to patient care. Patients should feel encouraged to start conversations with their providers about how they could participate in clinical research through clinical trials.
What is clinical research?
Clinical research involves conducting clinical trials to discover new ways to diagnose, treat, and prevent disease. These trials test the safety and effectiveness of drugs, devices, surgeries, therapies, and other tools used in the medical world.
What are the types of clinical trials?
- Natural History Screening: Researches the progression of a disease over time
- Prevention Trials: Researches preventing disease
- Screening Trials: Researches testing for/detecting disease
- Diagnostic Trials: Researches diagnosing disease
- Treatment Trials: Researches treating and curing disease
- Quality of Life Trials: Researches improving the lives of people with chronic disease
How are clinical trials created?
Clinical trials begin with an idea based on promising research or a previous study. The researcher takes the idea and formulates a protocol for testing the idea. The protocol includes details about the procedure, who participates, and the length of the trial. An institutional review board will often inspect the procedure and decide whether the potential benefit outweighs any potential risk. The clinical trial then receives funding, which can come from various organizations like a pharmaceutical company or the National Institutes of Health (NIH). After receiving funding, the trial will recruit volunteers to participate. Volunteers are informed on what the trial involves, and must give consent before participating.
Benefits and Risks in Clinical Trials
What are the risks and drawbacks of participating in a clinical trial?
- Side effects ranging from minor to severe could occur
- Participation requires more time commitment than regular treatment
- Participation can require difficult activities like complicated dose requirements or frequent blood tests
What are the benefits of participating in a clinical trial?
- Access to new treatments before they are on the market
- Quality medical attention from a trained research team
- Contribute to the process of combating a disease and potentially helping others who suffer from it
Why is clinical research important?
The rigorous investigation and analysis involved in performing a clinical trial is the most effective way of discovering safe and effective treatments. Clinical research combats disease and improves the health of our society. Clinical research depends on you, the volunteer, to get high-quality data. The NIH says, “As clinical research opens new doors to finding ways to diagnose, prevent, treat, or cure disease and disability, clinical trial participation of volunteers is essential to help us find the answers.”
How do I find a clinical trial?
ClinicalTrials.gov provides updated information about federally and privately supported clinical research in human volunteers. Talking to your doctor or neurologist is also a good way to find a suitable trial.