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Medical Research
A Lucky Find
How one healthy volunteer uncovered a life-threatening condition

A Lucky FindVolunteering as a healthy participant for a clinical study may have saved Billie Bahrs life when an fMRI found an aneurysm of her internal carotid artery.

Everyone applauds the ingenuity that goes into medical studies. We want to see cures and health care solutions for illnesses that affect us and those we love. But how many of us realize that our participation can help?

Billie Bahr volunteered in 2006 to be a healthy participant for a medical pain study at the Health System. She thought it would be fun and interesting. Now she tells people, Participating in that pain study literally saved my life.

The study dealt with chronic pain, such as the pain associated with fibromyalgia, a condition that can include severe muscle pain that limits daily tasks. As a healthy control for the research, Bahr received several brain scans, called fMRIs, that map human brain activity.

One of Bahrs fMRIs revealed a serious abnormality: an aneurysm of the internal carotid artery. After consulting with Bahr, the studys principal investigator, Daniel J. Clauw, M.D., professor of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, and director, Chronic Pain and Fatigue Research Center, coordinated with her doctor, who referred Bahr to a neurosurgeon. He scheduled and performed brain surgery to repair the problem.

Two years later, Bahr says, I feel so fortunate to have benefited so much from doing so little. I think about this every single day and am so happy to be alive and healthy.

The Health Systems Engage Web site serves as the doorway to clinical trials, making it easy to learn about and volunteer for U-M medical studies.

We have made it easier for patients and community members to find information about our medical studies and sign up for them, says Dorene S. Markel, director of Clinical and Translational Research at the U-M Medical School. Over 2,500 volunteers have registeredan increase of nearly 2,000 volunteerssince we began our effort to improve the Web site last year.

Engage enables participants to control how they are contactedwhether they volunteer for one particular study or opt to be contacted directly by researchers. Information is matched daily to the eligibility requirements in each active medical study listed on the site.

Participating in clinical studies furthers the good work by so many talented people at the University of Michigan, Bahr says. - BS

Visit www.umengage.org

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