 shock, confusion, fear, all describe how people feel about dreaded diseases but thanks to advancements in medical science and people willing to participate in research studies we also see progress. 55-year-old Arthur Daniels knows about the progress of modern medicine. For Arthur, peaceful mornings in the garden are sometimes overshadowed by periods of sadness, dramatic mood swings and anxiety. I have times when I have like a crying episodes, it just comes and goes. I have days when I'm moving real fast and talking real fast. I have to slow down or my wife reminds me I should take this other pill for anxiety to kind of slow myself down. No one wants to take a pill for the rest of their life. You know that's just not what you want to do but that's what Arthur has to do in order for us to have a measure of normalness in our life. Arthur suffers from a combination of bipolar disorder, depression and generalized anxiety disorder or GAD. Over the last decade scientists have learned a lot about the human brain and how certain forms of mental illness are related to chemical imbalances. This is allowed for the development of a whole new generation of drugs that correct problems with chemicals such as serotonin. If you don't have enough serotonin and would give you a medication that prevents the brain from breaking down the serotonin, you have more available to help the mood. The drugs helping patients like Arthur are the result of people being willing to participate in clinical trials. A clinical trial is a research study in which patients give permission to be part of the testing process for a new drug, a new mechanical device or a new procedure or treatment regimen. 62 year old Willie Bird is participating in a clinical trial about controlling diabetes. A disease Willie takes very seriously. It's very very devastating to me because of what happened to my dad. Willie's father passed at age 59 from a heart attack brought on by uncontrolled diabetes. Diabetes is a disease marked by high levels of sugar in the blood due to the body's inability to produce or properly use a hormone called insulin. Willie's participation in a research study is helping doctors collect data about appropriate control levels for diabetes to prevent complications such as deadly heart attacks and strokes which disproportionately affect African Americans. So it's really crucial that African Americans take part in clinical trials. The questions we have regarding those cardiovascular problems cannot be answered always by studying other population groups. But minority patients do not participate in clinical trials at the same rate as whites. That means doctors often have to estimate how drugs tested mainly in the Caucasian population will work in other ethnic and racial groups. If I have to assume that what's best for one group is best for my group African Americans I may be making an error. One reason some African Americans may not want to participate in research studies is because they don't trust the medical system. I have a relative that was in that Tuskegee experiment and really we don't trust the medical profession on certain things. People will always remember the Tuskegee syphilis experiment in which doctors purposely withheld treatment from 400 African American men infected with syphilis. There are now federal laws and regulations to prevent such things from happening again. People aren't going to hide information and mistreat you because of your race or whatever. I mean they just can't do that anymore. It's just it's just the system demands that you know what's going to happen and that you agree with it before it happens. Informed consent is a process that includes written documents and discussions to explain everything about a clinical trial including all the risks and potential benefits. It's during these discussions that you and your medical team weigh the pros and cons of your potential participation. It's helpful to have family members or friends with you during these discussions. Here are some questions you might consider asking. Besides being in the research study what are my other choices for treatment and what are the risks and benefits of those choices. Is it going to cost me money out of my pocket to get this experimental treatment. For example if I have to come to the doctor more often is there a way to help pay for my transportation parking or babysitting. Who benefits financially from this research study. Does the doctor in charge of the study make money if this particular drug or device ends up on the market. If you decide to participate in a clinical trial and sign the informed consent it's important to remember that your participation is totally voluntary and you can withdraw from the study at any time. In the past week have you been feeling very anxious. 36 year old Chastalia Benson consented to a clinical trial to test a new treatment for generalized anxiety disorder. A condition that produces abnormal nervousness or fright as well as various physical symptoms. I don't feel like a guinea pig because since they were opening up front and honest about everything and all the information that they gave me that's something I don't have to worry about you know I'm just not I don't get that feeling from it. Both Chastalia and Willie say trust in their medical team had a lot to do with their decision to say yes to a clinical trial. The clinical trial to which Willie consented requires that he start taking daily injections of insulin a big step for many diabetics. A lot of patients actually they will refuse. I was at that point and I resisted and resisted and the doctor explained to me that if I expected a long life I had to have insulin. Doctors say many patients mistakenly believe that insulin causes people to suffer devastating complications that include kidney failure, circulation problems in the feet and legs resulting in amputations, heart attack, stroke or blindness. But in reality insulin is a medicine that can help prevent or delay such diabetic complications by allowing patients to maintain better control of their disease early on. Besides taking insulin Willie also tries to control his weight with a disciplined diet and exercise. Participation in a clinical trial does not guarantee that a medical condition will improve but patients can be sure their health is closely monitored. There is a possibility that Willie and Chastalia will improve their own health by participating in a clinical trial but they also know they are helping others especially the African-American community. It made me feel real good because by me being part of the clinical trial eventually this is going to save some lives. And it's our advantage as a people as an individual and next generation to participate. Arthur and Bessie Daniels are grateful for the advancements in drug development. Arthur wants people to understand that conditions like bipolar disorder can be managed. I think he can live with it. I don't know if there's a situation that it's like it takes your whole life or you have no control. I don't feel that way at all. Arthur has tried it both ways. He's tried to be with the meds and without and the only way we're able to cope with life now is medication.