Evidence of Neuroplasticity After Performing a Cognitive Task in Idiopathic Parkinson's Disease Patients

Can Diffusion Tensor MRI Brain Scan Demonstrate Microstructural Changes as Evidence of Neuroplasticity Following a Learning Process in Patients With Idiopathic Parkinson's Disease ?

Status

UNKNOWN

Phases

Study type

Interventional

Source

ClinicalTrials.gov

Registry ID

NCT02494908

Enrollment

Registered

2015-07-10

Start date

2015-07-31

Completion date

2018-07-31

Last updated

2015-07-10

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Parkinson Disease

Keywords

Parkinson Disease, MRI

Brief summary

As seen in previous studies Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) MRI is able to detect very subtle changes in brain tissue even after a very short timescale of hours resulting from performing a cognitive task and learning, We wish to explore and compare those changes to patients with idiopathic PD (IPD) and see if there are changes in the learning process and can we detect them using widely available noninvasive techniques such as MRI.

Detailed description

Aim: to utilize high sensitivity DTI MRI methodology to explore evidence for subtle microstructural brain alterations after performing a cognitive task and to compare those changes in patients with PD to healthy controls of the same age. PD patients and controls will undergo a full cranial MRI scan for depiction of anatomy and structural abnormalities (scan duration \ 40 min). Immediately afterwards the subjects will play a car race computer game (Need for Speed) for 90 minutes. Following the game, the patients will undergo an additional DTI MRI scan (\ 15 minutes).

Interventions

BEHAVIORALPlaying a computer game simulating a car race

Playing a computer game simulating a car race

Study design

Allocation

NON_RANDOMIZED

Intervention model

PARALLEL

Primary purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Masking

NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

ALL

Age

30 Years to 80 Years

Healthy volunteers

Yes

Inclusion criteria

* Patients with IPD based on a clinical diagnosis of PD according to the United Kingdom Parkinson's Disease Society Brain Bank criteria (however patients with a positive family history and symmetrical onset may be included) * Healthy subjects should have no known neurological disease matched for age and sex with the study group

Exclusion criteria

* History of cranial surgery, radiation therapy, tumor, stroke or significant head trauma * History of psychiatric disease (major depression, bipolar affective disorder, schizophrenia) * Patients with severe tremor or dyskinesias that may interfere with performance of the MRI scan * Patients with Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score of 22 or under * Contraindications for MRI (metal objects: implants/shrapnel/bullet; any electrically, magnetically or mechanically activated implants: cardiac pacemakers/defibrillator, biostimulators, neurostimulators, cochlear implants, hearing aids, insulin pump; claustrophobia) * Subjects who are familiar and have played on multiple occasions the computer game need for speed

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
seeing evidence of microstructural brain tissue changes in Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) MRI	2 hours

Countries

Israel

Contacts

Primary ContactVered Livneh, Dr

vered.livneh@gmail.com03-5304931

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026