AzTrials
AzTrials

Alzheimer's DiseasePhase 4NCT00009217

Treatment of Behavioral Symptoms in Alzheimer's Disease

A Phase 4 study testing Haloperidol-Haloperidol in people with Alzheimer's Disease and Psychosis, run by New York State Psychiatric Institute at 1 site in United States.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
Search all trials

Trial summary

The optimal strategy for the treatment of behavioral complications in patients with probable Alzheimer's disease (AD) remains unclear. The objective of this study is to evaluate the risk of relapse following discontinuation of haloperidol in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) with psychosis or agitation who… Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 50 to 95 years
Conditions the study is for
Alzheimer's Disease, Psychosis, Agitation
What is being tested?
Haloperidol-Haloperidol
Could I receive a placebo?
Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
How many people
44 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
Jan 1999to Dec 2004
Phase
Phase 4
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 50 to 95 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Meets DSM-IV criteria for dementia either sex, age 50-95 years
  • Meets NINCDS-ADRDA criteria for probable Alzheimer's disease
  • Meets Folstein Mini-Mental State Exam score of 5-26, inclusive
  • Intellectual impairment reported for at least six months
  • Availability of family member who has had direct contact with the patient for an average of at least once every week during the three months prior to study entry
  • Has current symptoms of psychosis or agitation. Criteria for "psychosis" requires the presence of delusions and/or hallucinations identified by the Columbia University Scale for Psychopathology in Alzheimer's Disease (CUSPAD) and a minimum Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) psychosis factor score of at least 4 (moderate severity) on one of the following two items: These two items comprise the psychosis factor, excluding the item for conceptual disorganization. Agitation is defined as a score of greater than 3 (present at least 10 days per month) on one or more of the CERAD Behavioral Rating Scale for Dementia items for agitation, purposeless wandering, verbal aggression or physical aggression.
  • Free of psychotropic medication for at least two weeks prior to study entry, or able to tolerate medication washout for this period.
  • Informed consent by patient and family member, as per IRB procedures at New York State Psychiatric Institute.

Who cannot join

  • Acute unstable medical condition, delirium, alcohol or substance abuse or dependence within the past 1 year
  • Clinical evidence of stroke, other dementias including vascular or Lewy body or frontotemporal dementia, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, tardive dyskinesia
  • Diagnosis of a psychotic disorder antedating the onset of dementia
  • Antipsychotic medication usage during 4 weeks prior to study entry
  • Contraindication to the use of haloperidol

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site
  • New York State Psychiatric Institute

    New York, New York, 10032

Other trials in United States

About this study

The optimal strategy for the treatment of behavioral complications in patients with probable Alzheimer's disease (AD) remains unclear.

The objective of this study is to evaluate the risk of relapse following discontinuation of haloperidol in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) with psychosis or agitation who respond to it.

Read more

In Phase A of this study, AD outpatients with behavioral complications receive 20 weeks of open haloperidol treatment with an oral dose of 1-5 mg daily, titrated individually to achieve the optimal trade-off between efficacy and side effects. Responders to Phase A participate in Phase B, a 24-week continuation trial in which patients are randomized to continuation haloperidol or placebo.

The primary outcome is the time to relapse of psychosis or behavioral disturbance.

Read the detailed description

The study involves two phases. Outpatients with AD who meet inclusion/ exclusion criteria enter Phase A, the 20 week open acute treatment phase that uses a flexible dose regimen of haloperidol 1-5 mg daily. Haloperidol is started at an oral dose of 1 mg daily, with subsequent dose titration in 1 mg increments until the optimal dose is reached, i.e., optimal trade-off between efficacy and side effects. At the end of Phase A, patients who do not meet criteria for clinical response exit the protocol and is treated openly with alternative medications.

Phase A responders enter Phase B, a 24-week random assignment, placebo-controlled, continuation trial. Randomization is stratified by the severity of dementia and by the presence of psychosis. Half the patients are randomized to haloperidol (continuing at the same dose as at the end of Phase A), and the other half are randomized to placebo. Patients who relapse during Phase B exit the protocol and receive open treatment.

In Phase A, patients are followed at 0, 2, 4 weeks and every 4 weeks thereafter until 20 weeks. In the discontinuation trial, Phase B, patients are followed at 0, 1, 2, 4, week time points and every 4 weeks thereafter until 24 weeks. If a patient shows signs of relapse, the patient is brought in for more frequent visits, regardless of the stage of the protocol.

Being tested
Haloperidol-Haloperidol, Haloperidol-Placebo
Keywords
Alzheimer's disease, psychosis, agitation, haloperidol
Medical subject headings
Alzheimer Disease, Psychotic Disorders, Psychomotor Agitation

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Haloperidol-HaloperidolDrug

    Also called Haldol

    Haloperidol open label flexible dose 1-5 mg daily for 20 weeks followed by haloperidol double-blind 1-5 mg for 24 weeks

  • Haloperidol-PlaceboDrug

    Also called Haldol

    Haloperidol open-label flexible dose of 1-5 mg for 20 weeks followed by placebo double-blind for 24 weeks

Study groups in NCT00009217
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Haloperidol-HaloperidolActive comparatorHaloperidol for 20 weeks followed by haloperidol for 24 weeks
Receives: Drug: Haloperidol-Haloperidol
Haloperidol-PlaceboPlacebo comparatorHaloperidol for 20 weeks followed by placebo for 24 weeks
Receives: Drug: Haloperidol-Placebo

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. For the primary hypothesis, the primary endpoint is time to relapse.

    Measured: 0-24 weeks in Phase B

Secondary outcomes (3)
  1. Severity of target symptoms at the end of Phase A as a predictor of relapse

    Measured: 0-24 weeks in Phase B

  2. Severity of Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale psychosis and hostile suspiciousness factor scores

    Measured: 0-20 weeks in Phase A and 0-24 weeks in Phase B

  3. MMSE and Blessed Functional Activity Scale

    Measured: 0-20 weeks in Phase A and 0-24 weeks in Phase B

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted24 Jan 2001 (estimated)
  2. Study startJan 1999
  3. Primary completionDec 2004
  4. Study completionDec 2004

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase 4
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
Quadruple blind
Who is masked
Participant, Care provider, Investigator, Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
44 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT00009217
Sponsor's protocol ID
#4051R
Other IDs
R01MH055735
Status last verified
Feb 2012
First submitted
23 Jan 2001
Last updated
24 May 2016
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No

Publications

  • Devanand DP, Pelton GH, Cunqueiro K, Sackeim HA, Marder K. A 6-month, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot discontinuation trial following response to haloperidol treatment of psychosis and agitation in Alzheimer's disease. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2011 Sep;26(9):937-43. doi: 10.1002/gps.2630. Epub 2010 Dec 28.

    PubMed 21845596

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Phase 4 study testing Haloperidol-Haloperidol in people with Alzheimer's Disease and Psychosis, run by New York State Psychiatric Institute at 1 site in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 8 inclusion and 5 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 24 May 2016. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

What does this phase mean?

Phase 4 studies take place after a treatment is approved, to learn more about its long-term benefits and risks in everyday use.

Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

For the primary hypothesis, the primary endpoint is time to relapse. (time frame: 0-24 weeks in Phase B). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT00009217, which also lists 1 linked publication.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 24 May 2016.

Free account

Log in to keep searching

You’ve used your 3 free searches. AzTrials is free: log in or create a free account to keep searching clinical trials and save the ones you want to follow.

Create a free accountLog in