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The Effect of Gluten-free Diet on Parkinsonism

The Effect of Gluten-free Diet on Clinical Symptoms, Immune Parameters and Metabolome in Neurodegenerative Diseases With Alfa-synucleinopathy

Status
UNKNOWN
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT05238545
Acronym
GFREEPARK
Enrollment
90
Registered
2022-02-14
Start date
2021-10-01
Completion date
2025-12-31
Last updated
2022-04-08

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

Conditions

Multiple System Atrophy, Non-celiac Gluten Sensitivity, Parkinson Disease

Keywords

Parkinson Disease, Multiple system atrophy, Gluten-free Diet

Brief summary

Recent data suggest that the brain-gut axis, chronic intestinal inflammation and microbiome may contribute to the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases with alfa-synucleinopathy, which include Parkinson's disease (PD) and Multiple system atrophy (MSA). Environmental factors e.g. diets, microbiome, metabolites and immune mechanisms may play important role in pathogenesis of these diseases. In the human arm of this project, the investigators will address effects of an anti-inflammatory gluten-free diet (GFD) on motor and non-motor symptoms as well as its effects on immune and metabolomic characteristics in patients with PD and MSA. In the mouse arm, the investigations will focus on the effects of GFD in chronic MPTP-induced mouse model of PD in various settings (e.g. in young or aged animals, with respect to the lengths of exposure to GFD). The chronic MPTP model will be used to assess the effects of GFD on adaptive and immune characteristics, and metabolic signatures. Using germ-free animals, the microbiome-dependency of the GFD-mediated effects may be determined. The anti-inflammatory gluten-free diet and its related mechanisms represent novel, promising and relatively straightforward approach in a search to improve symptoms of PD as well as MSA or even in their prevention.

Detailed description

This project is based on two research lines, testing the effect of gluten-free diet in a patients with PD and MSA (a human prospective trial) and in the chronic MPTP (1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine)-induced mouse model of PD. Research line 1. Assessments of effects of gluten-free diet (GFD) on clinical symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD) and multiple system atrophy (MSA) in a prospective, controlled, randomized, rater-blinded human study. The goal of the research line 1 is to assess the effects of 12 months of administration of GFD on clinical symptoms of PD and MSA. Research line 2. Effects of GFD on the development of PD in the chronic MPTP-induced mouse model of PD. The goal of the research line 2 is to study the effects of GFD in the chronic MPTP-induced mouse model of PD in order to evaluate its impact on clinical development of PD's features as well as immune and metabolomic characteristics that should shed more light on the possible mechanisms and potential novel treatment opportunities.

Interventions

OTHERgluten-free diet

Diet excluding foods containing gluten.

Sponsors

Czech Academy of Sciences
CollaboratorOTHER
General University Hospital, Prague
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE (Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)

Intervention model description

Study groups in PD and MSA group with gluten-free diet and on regular gluten-containing diet. Randomization: patients will be randomized by diagnosis, age and disease duration, a numbered envelope in 1:1 ration to gluten-free diet group and regular gluten-containing diet group will be used.

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
40 Years to 80 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* subjects with establish diagnosis of PD in clinical stage 2-4 of Hoehn&Yahr scale or with establish diagnosis of MSA * stable treatment for \>4 weeks * willing and able to give informed consent for participation in the study * male and female subjects, aged 40 years or older * able to understand and willing to comply with study procedures * willing to avoid any other diet restrictions * BMI 18-30

Exclusion criteria

* concomitant neurological, gastrointestinal or immunological disease * diet restriction * dementia affecting compliance * acute psychiatric symptoms

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Change in severity of the clinical symptomsBaseline, 1.5, 3, 6, 9, 12 and 13 monthsScored by the MDS-Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (scores ranging from 0 to 260, higher scores indicate greater impairment) or Unified Multiple System Atrophy Rating Scale (scores ranging from 0 to 104, higher scores indicate greater impairment).

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Change in severity of the autonomic symptoms (Autonomic Scale for Outcomes in Parkinson's Disease)Baseline, 1.5, 3, 6, 9, 12 and 13 monthsScored by Autonomic Scale for Outcomes in Parkinson's Disease (scores ranging from 0 to 69, higher scores indicate greater impairment).
Change in spatio temporal parameters of the gaitBaseline, 1.5, 3, 6, 9, 12 and 13 monthsInvestigated by GaitRite system
Cognition changeBaseline, 1.5, 3, 6, 9, 12 and 13 monthsScored by Montreal Cognitive Assessment (scores ranging from 0 to 30, lower scores indicate greater impairment).
Mood changeBaseline, 1.5, 3, 6, 9, 12 and 13 monthsScored by Beck depression inventory (scores ranging from 0 to 63, higher scores indicate greater impairment).
Change in quality of lifeBaseline, 1.5, 3, 6, 9, 12 and 13 monthsScored by Quality of life questionnaire (scores ranging from 0 to 100, higher scores indicate greater impairment).
Quality of sleep changeBaseline, 1.5, 3, 6, 9, 12 and 13 monthsScored by Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index

Countries

Czechia

Contacts

Primary ContactHana Brožová, MD, PhD
hana.brozova@lf1.cuni.cz224965539
Backup ContactKamila Poláková, MD, PhD
kamila.polakova@vfn.cz224965539

Outcome results

None listed

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