Submitted by Val Curtis.

PADs is looking for volunteers who live on San Juan Island and have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease to participate in a novel research study to determine whether a relationship exists between a proven marker of neurological disease (ND) and the alert responses of the Parkinson’s Alert Dogs. If you are familiar with PADs, then you know that the dogs sniff T-shirt samples from sample donors to search out an odor associated with Parkinson’s Disease. For this study, volunteer participants will provide a T-shirt sample for canine detection and a secondary sample to be laboratory-tested for the marker of neurological disease. Ongoing analysis of both the ND marker and T-shirt sample from study participants will help to determine if the associated odor in Parkinson’s varies with relation to progression and stages of the disease. Greater understanding of the disease takes us one step closer to finding the cause.

This study will begin in January of 2022. To volunteer, contact Lisa Holt at sanjuanlisa@gmail.com or 360-298-5494. For more info go to https://www.padsforparkinsons.org/introduction-research-3-hpma-study and www.padsforparkinsons.org.