Tourette’s Syndrome

Tourette’s syndrome is a neurological disorder that’s accompanied by involuntary movements, or tics, which are “frequent, repetitive and rapid.” That doesn’t mean, however, that people with Tourette’s are constantly shouting — despite what that common stereotype might have you believe.

Here are 8 things parents want the public to know:

1. Tourette’s syndrome is not uncommon.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 1 in every 360 children between the ages of 6 and 17 has a Tourette’s syndrome diagnosis. Most of these cases are classified as mild or moderate.

2. For the most part, people with Tourette’s syndrome don’t shout obscenities.
Media portrayals of TS tend to depict the disorder as some sort of cursing disease. In reality, most researchers agree that only about 10 to 15 percent of people with TS uncontrollably curse. But the stereotype has been hard to kick.

3. In fact, not all kids with Tourette’s syndrome have the same symptoms.
Tics, or “repetitive, stereotyped, involuntary movements and vocalizations,” can take all kinds of forms. Eye blinking, facial grimacing, shoulder shrugging, head or shoulder jerking, repetitive throat-clearing, sniffing and grunting sounds are just a few listed by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

4. Oftentimes, children with Tourette’s syndrome are also dealing with mental health conditions.
The CDC reports that 86 percent of people with TS have a concurrent mental health, behavioral or developmental condition, like ADHD (63 percent) or anxiety (49 percent). More than a third also have obsessive-compulsive disorder. That said, TS doesn’t have to be a grim diagnosis.

5. People with Tourette’s syndrome aren’t doing these things for attention — they actually can’t help it.
TS is a neurological disorder, so all of the tics are 100 percent involuntary. According to Breakie, people in her support groups have experienced peers telling them to “stop that” or even teachers sending them out of the classroom for “distracting other students.”

6. Tourette’s syndrome isn’t an intellectual disability.
Oftentimes, people assume that a child with TS has an intellectual disability, which is only the case for 12 percent — people with TS generally have “normal intellectual functioning,” according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.

7. It isn’t helpful if a teacher stops everything when a child experiences tics.
The best thing for teachers do when a kid with TS is tapping or making a noise in the classroom is to just accept it and keep teaching. If a teacher appears understanding, quite often the rest of the class will follow suit.

8. Kids with Tourette’s syndrome aren’t any different than other kids.
They would rather educate people and tell them what’s going on than have people avoid them or make judgements about them without taking the time to know them. It’s about having an open dialogue and an understanding that these kids are wonderful, great, smart, talented little people that need to be included.

Call today to see if your child would benefit from participating in one our studies.

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What is Refractory Schizophrenia?

Schizophrenia is a complex, chronic mental health disorder characterized by an array of symptoms, including delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech or behavior, and impaired cognitive ability. Typically when two or three treatments with typical or atypical antipsychotic drugs are unsuccessful a patient's schizophrenia is considered refractory. There’s an estimated 30% of people whose schizophrenia is diagnosed as refractory. Decades after the introduction of antipsychotic medication, schizophrenia continues to be among the most severe psychiatric illnesses. It is widely accepted, however, that the illness arises from multiple factors, including genetic susceptibility and environmental influences.

When someone has schizophrenia it’s important to have a healthy support system coming from a variety of sources including, family, friends, and doctors, among others.  Utilizing additional resources as well as recognizing when there’s a need to ask for help will be key when it comes to dealing with the symptoms of schizophrenia. With this disease being so complex, and the strides for medication being less than optimal, now is the time to participate in clinical research.

What is the study for: Refectory Schizophrenia
Ages: 18-25 years old
- Must have diagnosis of Schizophrenia that is clinically stable with residual symptoms
- No medication changes within 8 weeks
- Must be taking Clozapine
How long: 13 weeks
Frequency of visits: Every 2 weeks
Medication: Sodium Benzoate
If you qualify to participate in a study, you will receive:
- Assessments by a Board Certified Psychiatrist
- Investigational medication at no cost
- Study-related care and monitoring
- Compensation for time and travel
APG Research provides extensive service to our sponsors, physicians and research patients. Our team has a combined 40 years of clinical research experience in adult and pediatric studies including Major Depression, Autism, Anxiety, Bipolar, OCD, ADHD and Schizophrenic Disorders.

Call today to see if your child would benefit from participating in one our studies.

apgresearch.net | 407-423-7149 | plus.google.com/+APGresearchNet

Research for Major Depressive Disorder

In the United States it is reported that upwards of 70% of patients with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) are partial or non-respondents to the first- line therapies which include SSRIs and SNRIs.

Designation FOR Adjunctive Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), has a mechanism of action which is entire different from that of atypical anti-psychotics. The drug, rapastinel, is an N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) modulator with a novel and complete pharmacological mechanism of action, acting as a non-selective agent at NR2 subunits and displaying properties as a functional partial agonist in a number of pharmacological assays.

At APG Clinical Research, we are conducing more research into this new drug, and invite you to refer people who meet the following criteria:
- Ages 18 and up
- With a current major depressive episode in the last 8 weeks and not exceeding 18 months in duration
- And, have no more than partial response (<50% improvement) to ongoing treatment with a protocol- allowed antidepressant

APG Research provides extensive service to our sponsors, physicians and research patients. Our team has a combined 40 years of clinical research experience in adult and pediatric studies including Major Depression, Autism, Anxiety, Bipolar, OCD, ADHD and Schizophrenic Disorders.

Call today to see if your child would benefit from participating in one our studies.

apgresearch.net | 407-423-7149 | plus.google.com/+APGresearchNet

Alzheimer Study

Have you or someone you know been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. If yes you may be eligible to participate in the studies. apgresearch.net | 407-423-7149

Most people have late-onset Alzheimer’s, in which symptoms for the disease become apparent in a person’s mid- 60’s. Research suggest that there are factors beyond genetics that may play a role in development of Alzheimer’s disease. Vascular conditions such as heart disease and stroke correlate to cognitive decline. As well as metabolic conditions such as diabetes, these conditions and their relationship to Alzheimer’s is continuously being researched with clinical trials.
Participants in Alzheimer's clinical research help scientists learn how the brain changes with healthy aging and with Alzheimer’s. The clinical studies are testing ways to understand, diagnose, treat, and prevent Alzheimer's disease. Volunteering for a clinical trial is one way to help in the fight against Alzheimer's disease. Studies need participants of different ages, sexes, races, and ethnicities to ensure that results are meaningful for many people.

What is the study for: Alzheimer’s/ MCI

Ages: 50-85 years old
- Must be positive for brain amyloid
- If taking Memantine or AChEl, must be on a stable dose for 12 weeks
- Must have a caregiver willing to participate until the end of the study

How long: 2.5 years
Frequency of visits: Every two weeks for the first three months, then monthly
Medication: E2609

If you qualify to participate in a study, you will receive:
- Assessments by a Board Certified Psychiatrist
- Investigational medication at no cost
- Study-related care and monitoring
- Compensation for time and travel
APG Research provides extensive service to our sponsors, physicians and research patients. Our team has a combined 40 years of clinical research experience in adult and pediatric studies including Major Depression, Autism, Anxiety, Bipolar, OCD, ADHD and Schizophrenic Disorders.

Call today to see if you or someone you know would benefit from participating in one our studies.

apgresearch.net | 407-423-7149 | plus.google.com/+APGresearchNet