Can Spirituality Improve Quality of Life in Parkinson’s Disease
Patients?
Emory Researchers Begin Study in Search of Answers
ATLANTA -- Some forms of complementary and alternative medicine are
becoming more widely accepted in the fight against chronic diseases
and disabilities.. But can the most intangible of complementary interventions
- things such as spirituality, prayer and training in holistic health
-- work to improve the quality of life, brain functioning and movement
in patients with a progressive illness like Parkinson's disease?
Emory University researchers
are studying that question in a clinical trial sponsored by The Emory
Center for Research on Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)
in Neurodegenerative Diseases. The center, which also includes research
projects focusing on herbals like valerian root, Oriental exercise techniques
and magnetic stimulation, is supported by a 5-year, $6.2 million grant
awarded by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine,
a division of the National Institutes of Health.
"The aim of the spirituality
and holistic wellness study is to determine the relative value of these
interventions at improving quality of life and motor symptoms in Parkinson’s
disease patients," says Jorge L. Juncos, MD, scientific advisor to the
study and associate professor of neurology, Emory University School
of Medicine. "Although these interventions are indeed less tangible
than, for instance, a surgical procedure, there are numerous testimonials
that support the notion that these practices make a great difference
in quality of life (QOL) in general, and in the QOL during illness in
particular. Perhaps unfortunately, very little of this information has
come from rigorous scientific research. This debate has come to a head
as members of society, insurance companies and government try to decide
whether these and other CAM interventions are legitimate line items
in a dwindling health care budget," Dr. Juncos points out.
Why study spirituality and
holistic wellness in patients with Parkinson’s disease? As a group,
these patients have been noted by many to gravitate towards spirituality
as evidenced by their participation in support organizations, and by
their willingness to make the most out of helping each other in these
groups, according to Dr. Juncos. As is the case in many chronic illnesses,
exposure to disability seems to further heighten their sensibility to
the truth in the statement: "It is what is inside that counts," Dr.
Juncos remarks.
Participants in this study
will be randomly assigned to one of two interventions complementary
to traditional medicine: pastoral and spiritual healing or hands-on
education in holistic health. Those in the spiritual healing sessions
will work individually with one of two ministers who serve as principal
investigators in this study. Reverend Kathleen Kiley, a proclaimed spiritual
healer, will lead some of the study participants through spiritual healing
sessions. A minister with the Universal Brotherhood Ministry, Rev. Kiley
has experience working with patients who have both chronic and acute
illnesses using integrative approaches. "More and more people seem to
be in search of these complementary and alternative modalities to improve
their well-being," says Rev. Kiley. Nicholas Demetry, M.D., who is a
local psychiatrist and minister with the Church of Wisdom, will conduct
spiritual healing sessions as well.
The spiritual healing sessions
held by Revs. Kiley and Demetry will use energy flow, prayer, visual
imagery, ministerial counseling and laying on of hands to take these
participants to a higher level of consciousness, according to Rev. Kiley.
In all sessions, prayer is tailored to the individual and thus it may
range from non-denominational to denominational. Those assigned to hands-on
holistic health and wellness education will meet in a group setting
and learn about common alternative therapies in current use from respected
members of the CAM community in Atlanta. Some of the topics to be covered
are herbal therapy, art therapy, pet therapy, dance and movement therapy
and nutrition seminars.
Results from controlled and
prospective studies using spirituality to improve wellness in patients
with AIDS, cancer and other diseases have been mixed. This, however,
is the first study of its kind to test spirituality in patients with
Parkinson’s disease, according to Dr. Juncos. If the results from this
pilot study prove favorable, new phases of this research will likely
follow.
To enroll in this study,
participants must be between the ages of 45 to 80 and have early to
moderately advanced stages of Parkinson’s disease, without significant
memory problems. Participants must be willing and able to attend the
training sessions or hands-on seminars once a week for 13 consecutive
weeks. The sessions will be held in Buckhead or Marietta. Medications
will remain unchanged during the study. Parkinson’s disease motor function,
cognition, emotional well-being and spiritual development will be evaluated
at the beginning and at the end of the study using various questionnaires
and bedside tasks. For more information, or to find out if you may be
a candidate for this study, please call Emory Health Connection at (404)
778-7777. |