Parkinson's Disease
Conditions
Keywords
cognition
Brief summary
The aim of the study is to determine whether galantamine stabilizes or improves thinking abilities in individuals with Parkinson's disease. Individuals included in the study have minor complaints about thinking such as problems with concentration or memory but do not have dementia. This medication has been shown to have a positive effect on stabilizing memory in individuals with Alzheimer's disease. It is FDA approved for use in elderly individuals with Alzheimer's disease. It is hypothesized that galantamine will stabilize or improve executive and attentional functions in individuals with Parkinson's.
Detailed description
While several cholinesterase inhibitors have effectiveness in Alzheimer's disease (AD), galantamine is unique since it has a dual mode of action: inhibition of acetylcholinesterase and modulation of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors.As Parkinson's disease (PD) impacts frontal systems, executive cognition rather than memory function (mediated by medial temporal) would be the targeted area for potential improvement. This single center, double blind, placebo controlled study compares a group of PD patients treated with galantamine to a group of PD patients who are not treated with this medication on a series of cognitive tasks that examine attention and executive control.
Interventions
DRUGgalantamine
Sponsors
Ortho-McNeil Neurologics, Inc.
Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
DOUBLE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
60 Years to 85 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Idiopathic Parkinson's Disease
Exclusion criteria
* dementia, depression, cardiac disease, gastrointestinal disease
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Improvement on cognitive measures | 16 weeks |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| No worsening of PD symptoms | 16 weeks |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed