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Assessment of Persistent Cognitive Impairment After Cure of Cushing's Disease

Cognitive Sequels of Cushing Syndrome

Status
Completed
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT02603653
Acronym
MEMOCUSH
Enrollment
30
Registered
2015-11-13
Start date
2016-02-04
Completion date
2017-08-03
Last updated
2025-12-04

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

Conditions

Cushing's Disease

Brief summary

Cushing's disease is a state of chronic endogenous glucocorticoid excess. Cushing's disease is responsible for increased morbidity and mortality. Recent studies have pinpointed the frequency of somatic sequelas and persistent alteration in quality of life despite the cure of the disease. More specifically, a few studies have described persistent psychopathology, maladaptive personality and cognitive impairments in patients with a history of Cushing's disease. Among these, hippocampal memory deficits have been found in the majority of studies, a finding that is consistent with the alterations described in hippocampal neurons during chronic exposure to glucocorticoids. However, the tools currently available to assess hippocampal-dependent memory are multiple, sometimes difficult to perform by clinicians and to analyze or may lack of diagnostic sensitivity. The investigators have recently developed an original tool, the virtual radial task in 3D, which has shown to be reliable to detect subtle alterations in hippocampal-dependent memory in several human diseases. The primary aim of the study is the evaluation of persistent cognitive impairments (hippocampal memory) in patients cured of Cushing's disease for at least one year using the virtual radial task in 3D and to compare it with that obtained with classical cognitive tests.

Interventions

DEVICEVirtual radial task in 3D

The virtual radial task is a labyrinth in 3D with twelve ways. The primary aim of our study is the evaluation of persistent cognitive impairments (hippocampal memory) according to the responses of participants after instructions to choose the right way in the labyrinth.

Sponsors

Institut National de la Santé Et de la Recherche Médicale, France
Lead SponsorOTHER_GOV

Study design

Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
DIAGNOSTIC

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 60 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

Patients : * history of Cushing's Disease * aged : 18 - 60 years * Biological remission of Cushing's disease for at least one year * Affiliation to Social Security * Informed consent signed by patient and investigator (at the latest the inclusion's day, before study's exams) For controls : * People aged 18 to 60 years matched to patients for age, sex and educational level * Affiliation to Social Security * Informed consent signed by patient and investigator (at the latest the inclusion's day, before study's exams)

Exclusion criteria

For patients : * Persistent hypercortisolism (even mild) * Current treatment of hypercortisolism with drugs * Obesity (BMI \>30 kg/m²) * Alcohol or drug addiction present or past * Growth hormone deficit * Diabetes mellitus with hemoglobin A1c \> 7.5% and/or fasting blood glucose \> 1.4 g/L * History of pituitary radiotherapy * History of cerebrovascular or neuro-cerebral disease * untreated dysthyroidism * Current psychotropic drug treatment * Pregnancy * Use of glucocorticoids in the last 3 months before study (aside hydrocortisone replacement therapy) * Excessive hydrocortisone replacement therapy (unadjusted to weight and/or with evening administration) For controls : * Obesity (BMI \>30 kg/m²) * Alcohol or drug addiction present or past * Current psychotropic drug treatment * History of cerebrovascular or neuro-cerebral disease * Current pregnancy * Chronical use of corticoid (\> 1 month), current or past * Use of glucocorticoids in the last 3 months before study (aside hydrocortisone replacement therapy) * Diabetes mellitus with hemoglobin A1c \> 7.5% and/or fasting blood glucose \> 1.4 g/L * Obesity (BMI \>30 kg/m²) * untreated dysthyroidism

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Percentage of right answers at virtual radial task in 3DbaselineComparison of right answers in patients cured of Cushing's disease and in controls.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Specific Quality of life for Cushing's DiseasebaselineComparison of quality of life of patients and controls with validated specific questionnaire for Cushing's Disease : Cushing-QoL
Number of participants with anxietybaselineEvaluation of anxiety in the two groups with Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) scale (questionnaire)
General Quality of lifebaselineComparison of quality of life of patients and controls with validated general questionnaire : SF-36 (SF for Short Form health survey)
Number of participants with depression with HADSbaselineEvaluation of depression in the two groups with Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) scale (questionnaire)
Intensity of Cushing's syndromebaselineIntensity of Cushing's disease will be evaluated with mean of free urinary cortisol. Hypothesis : intensity of hypercortisolism is correlated with sequels after cure.
Number of participants with depression with MADRSbaselineEvaluation of depression in the two groups with Montgomery and Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) (questionnaire)

Countries

France

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 11, 2026