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Parkinson DiseaseNCT02239978

Effect of Levodopa on Postural Motor Learning in Parkinson Disease

An observational study of Parkinson Disease, run by VA Office of Research and Development at 3 sites in United States.

Completed

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

Official record
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Trial summary

The primary goal of this project is to gain a better understanding of whether and how levodopa (a common anti-Parkinson disease medication) alters postural motor learning in people with Parkinson disease. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 90 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Parkinson Disease
What is being tested?
Postural perturbation
How many people
42 participants
Where
3 sitesUnited States
Study dates
Aug 2014to Sep 2016
Phase
Observational
Are there results?
Yes, posted in the registrySummary in the doctors' view

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 18 to 90 years
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Adult, Older adult

Study population: Individuals with Parkinson Disease or age-matched healthy adults in the north west United States (Oregon and Washington state).

Who may be able to join

  • Between 18 and 90 years of age.
  • Individuals with Parkinson Disease
  • Healthy adults age-matched to PD participants
  • Participants with PD will be currently taking dopamine replacement (i.e. Levodopa)

Who cannot join

  • All subjects exclusion criteria:
  • Deep brain stimulation
  • Recent (within 6 months) orthopedic injuries influencing standing or balance
  • Inability to stand independently
  • Transcranial magnetic stimulation exclusion criteria (for the subset of individuals taking part in the Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation portion of the study):
  • History of epilepsy or currently taking any epileptic medication,
  • History of seizures
  • Family history of epilepsy or seizures

Trial locations and contacts

3 sites in 1 country.

United States3 sites
  • Oregon Health & Science University

    Portland, Oregon, 97210

  • VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR

    Portland, Oregon, 97239

  • VA Salt Lake City Health Care System, Salt Lake City, UT

    Salt Lake City, Utah, 84148

Other trials in United States

About this study

The primary goal of this project is to gain a better understanding of whether and how levodopa (a common anti-Parkinson disease medication) alters postural motor learning in people with Parkinson disease. A secondary goal is to assess whether motor cortical excitability, measured via Transcranial magnetic stimulation, is related to postural motor learning.

Participants with Parkinson disease will complete between 50 and 100 postural perturbations (via support surface translations), ON and OFF their dopamine replacement therapy (i.e. levodopa). Adaptation of responses to these perturbations will be tracked. Participants will also undergo transcranial magnetic stimulation to capture cortical excitability of the brain (in particular the motor cortex). Cortical excitability will be correlated to adaptation of stepping (i.e. postural motor learning) ON and OFF levodopa. Investigators will also capture postural motor learning and cortical excitability in age-matched healthy adults.

Investigators hypothesize that dopamine will have a negative effect on postural motor learning, and the cortical excitability will be correlated to postural motor learning.

Being tested
Postural perturbation
Keywords
Parkinson Disease, Posture Balance, Learning, Dopamine
Medical subject headings
Parkinson Disease

What participants receive

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

  • Postural perturbationBehavioural

    Participants will undergo between 50 and 100 postural perturbations (quick movements of the support surface) in multiple directions. These perturbations will be between 9 and 24cm, and between 18 and 56 cm/s depending on participant tolerance.

Study groups in NCT02239978
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Parkinsons diseaseIndividuals with Parkinsons disease
Receives: Behavioral: Postural perturbation
ControlAge-matched healthy adults
Receives: Behavioral: Postural perturbation

What is being measured

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

  1. Change in Movement of Center of Mass (COM) After Postural Perturbation

    Investigators will assess (via automated and custom Matlab software) the magnitude of COM movement after a postural perturbation is delivered via motion of the support surface. This will be measured throughout the intervention, as well as at follow up (24 hour later).

    Measured: Baseline and follow up (24 hours later) both ON and OFF antiparkinson medication

  2. Change in Steps After Postural Perturbation

    Investigators will assess (via automated and custom Matlab software) the number of steps taken after a postural perturbation is delivered via motion of the support surface. This will be measured throughout the intervention, as well as at follow up (24 hour later).

    Measured: Baseline and follow up (24 hours later) both ON and OFF antiparkinson medication

Secondary outcomes (2)
  1. Change in First Step Length

    Investigators will assess (via automated and custom Matlab software) the length of the first step after a postural perturbation is delivered via motion of the support surface. This will be measured throughout the intervention, as well as at follow up (24 hour later).

    Measured: Baseline and follow up (24 hours later) both ON and OFF antiparkinson medication

  2. Cortical Excitability

    Investigators will assess the cortical excitability of the primary motor cortex in a subset of participants both ON and OFF levodopa. Specifically, we used transcranial magnetic stimulation to stimulate the motor cortex, where we measure muscular activity of the arm (i.e. motor evoked potentials; MEPs). The primary outcome variable noted below is the lowest stimulation setting (measured as a percentage) which results in an MEP in 5 of 10 trials.

    Measured: TMS data was collected ON and OFF medication during one visit. This visit occurred within 3 weeks of the initial postural control assessments.

Timeline

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

  1. First posted15 Sep 2014 (estimated)
  2. Study startAug 2014
  3. Primary completionJan 2016
  4. Study completionSep 2016

Resources

More details

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

Study design
Study type
Observational
Observational model
Cohort
Time perspective
Cross-sectional
Enrolment
42 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT02239978
Sponsor's protocol ID
N1480-M
Status last verified
Jan 2017
First submitted
2 Sep 2014
Last updated
23 Feb 2017
Data monitoring committee
No
Individual data sharing
No

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

An observational study of Parkinson Disease, run by VA Office of Research and Development at 3 sites 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 4 inclusion and 8 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 23 Feb 2017. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 3 sites 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. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 23 Feb 2017). A summary is in the For doctors view, and the full results are on ClinicalTrials.gov.

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?

Change in Movement of Center of Mass (COM) After Postural Perturbation (time frame: Baseline and follow up (24 hours later) both ON and OFF antiparkinson medication). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
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 23 Feb 2017.

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