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Frontotemporal Lobar DegenerationNCT00613119

PET Evaluation of Brain Peripheral Benzodiazepine Receptors Using [11C]PBR28 in Frontotemporal Dementia

An observational study of Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration and Dementia, run by National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) at 1 site 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

This study will use positron emission tomography (PET) imaging to measure a receptor in the brain that is involved in inflammation. Certain neurological disorders, possibly including frontotemporal dementia (FTD), are associated with increased inflammation in the brain. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 35 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration, Dementia
How many people
108 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
31 Jan 2008to 13 Jul 2017
Phase
Observational
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

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 35 years and older
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Patients with a diagnosis of Alzheimer disease or frontotemporal dementia (FTD). FTD patients with or without motor involvement may be included. FTD patients with either the frontal variant (also known as the behavioral variant) or the language variant of FTD may be included. AD and FTD patients must either meet capacity criteria to consent to research, or be able to assign a surrogate decision-maker who is able to consent to research on the subject s behalf.
  • TLE patients must have clinically documented partial seizures with consistent EEG evidence as defined by the 1981 International Classification of Epileptic Seizures, refractory to standard antiepileptic treatment for at least one year. This criterion will be established by preliminary screening in the NINDS Clinical Epilepsy Section outpatient clinic, and if necessary, inpatient video-EEG monitoring.
  • Healthy volunteers.

Who cannot join

  • Current psychiatric disease, substance abuse or severe systemic disease based on history and physical exam.
  • Laboratory tests with clinically significant abnormalities.
  • Prior participation in other research protocols or clinical care in the last year such that radiation exposure, including that from this protocol, would exceed the guidelines set by the Radiation Safety Committee (RSC).
  • Pregnancy or breast feeding.
  • Positive result on urine screen for illicit drugs.
  • Subjects who cannot lie on their back for extended periods of time.
Show all 13Show fewer
  • History of neurological disease other than FTD or AD or TLE.
  • TLE patients:
  • with a known treatable seizure etiology such as neoplastic or infectious disease
  • with an MRI finding consistent with a brain tumor, trauma or arterial-venous malformations
  • with seizure activity within 24 hours prior to the study.
  • not capable of giving an informed consent.
  • Presence of ferromagnetic metal in the body or heart pacemaker.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site
  • National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, 9000 Rockville Pike

    Bethesda, Maryland, 20892

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: PET Evaluation of Brain Peripheral Benzodiazepine Receptors Using [11C]PBR28 in Neurological Disorders

This study will use positron emission tomography (PET) imaging to measure a receptor in the brain that is involved in inflammation. Certain neurological disorders, possibly including frontotemporal dementia (FTD), are associated with increased inflammation in the brain. This study may help elucidate the relationship between FTD and inflammation.

Patients with FTD and healthy volunteers who are 35 years of age or older may be eligible for this study. Candidates are screened with a medical history, physical examination, electrocardiogram, and blood and urine tests.

Read more

Participants undergo the following procedures:

  • Whole body PET scan: PET uses small amounts of a radioactive chemical called a tracer that labels active areas of the brain so the activity can be seen with a special camera. The tracer used in this study is [11C]PBR28. Before starting the scan, a catheter (plastic tube) is placed in a vein in the arm to inject the tracer. Pictures are taken for 1 hour. This short scan is done to determine if [11C]PBR28 binds to the subject s receptors, since a number of people do not have binding. Subjects who have binding continue with brain PET and MRI scans, described below.
  • Brain PET imaging: Before starting the scan, a catheter is placed in a vein in the arm to inject the tracer,<TAB> and another catheter is placed in an artery in the wrist to obtain blood samples during the scan. The subject lies on the scanner bed. A special mask is fitted to the head and attached to the bed to help keep the person s head still during the scan so the images will be clear. An 8-minute transmission scan is done just before the tracer is injected to provide measures of the brain that are helpful in calculating information from subsequent scans. After the tracer is injected, pictures are taken for about 2.5 hours, while the subject lies still on the scanner bed.
  • Blood and urine tests are done the day of and the day following each PET scan.
  • Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): An MRI scan is done within 1 year (before or after) of the PET scan. This procedure uses a magnetic field and radio waves to produce images of the brain. The subject lies on a table that is moved into the scanner (a tube-like device), wearing earplugs to muffle the noise of the machine during the scanning process. The test takes about 1 hour....
Read the detailed description

Objective:

Abnormal immune responses and inflammatory mechanisms have been implicated in the pathogenesis of certain neurodegenerative diseases. Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by focal atrophy of the frontal and temporal lobes. Evidence supports the presence of inflammation in FTD; however, the relationship between inflammation and FTD pathogenesis is poorly understood. In addition, there is evidence of inflammation in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), a condition characterized by seizures originating from the mesial temporal lobe.

In response to brain inflammation, microglia are activated and over-express the peripheral benzodiazepine receptor (PBR). In normal conditions, PBR is expressed in low numbers. Measuring PBR density can identify areas of brain inflammation, because activated microglial cells in these areas express more PBR than microglial cells in resting conditions. Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging can quantify PBR density in vivo using radioligands that bind to PBR sites. One PBR-specific radioligand, [11C]1-(2-chlorophenyl-N-methylpropyl)-3-isoquinoline carboxamide (PK11195), has been used to identify areas of brain inflammation in patients with FTD. Unfortunately, [11C]PK11195 has several limitations, such as low brain uptake and low specific signal. A recently developed radioligand, [11C]N-acetyl-N-(2-methoxybenzyl)-2-phenoxy-5-pyridinamine (PBR28), has higher affinity than [11C]PK11195 for PBR. [11C]PBR28 has never been used to study inflammation in FTD.

To further study brain inflammation in dementia and TLE, we wish to include patients with Alzheimer disease (AD) and TLE.

Study population:

In this protocol, we wish to evaluate 20 patients with FTD, 50 100 patients with AD, 20 patients with TLE, and 30 55 healthy volunteers.

Design:

Subjects will undergo a dedicated brain PET with [11C]PBR28, as well as a brain MRI. In AD patients and controls, 11C PBR28 PET and MRI will then be repeated after an interval of one year but no more than 5 years.

Outcome measures:

Outcome measures will be the amount of 11C PBR28 binding in the brain in FTD patients, AD patients, TLE patients and in healthy controls. We will quantify the radioligand s brain uptake, washout, plasma clearance, and distribution volume using compartmental modeling. Distribution volume is proportional to the density of receptors and is equal to the ratio at equilibrium of uptake in brain to the concentration of parent radiotracer in plasma. 11C PBR28 binding will also be compared between baseline and follow-up scans to determine the change in binding related to evolution of AD pathology and that related to normal aging.

Keywords
Inflammation, Frontotemporal Dementia, Dementia, PBR28, PET Imaging
Medical subject headings
Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration, Dementia, Inflammation, Frontotemporal Dementia

What is being measured

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

  1. Outcome measures will be the amount of [11C]PBR28 binding in the brain in FTD patients and in healthy controls.

Secondary outcomes (1)
  1. We will quantify the radioligand's brain uptake, washout, plasma clearance, and distribution volume using compartmental modeling.

Timeline

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

  1. First posted12 Feb 2008 (estimated)
  2. Study start31 Jan 2008
  3. Study completion13 Jul 2017

Resources

More details

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

Study design
Study type
Observational
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrolment
108 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT00613119
Sponsor's protocol ID
080066
Other IDs
08-M-0066
Status last verified
13 Jul 2017
First submitted
10 Feb 2008
Last updated
16 Dec 2019
Results posted
No

Publications

  • Aisen PS, Davis KL. Inflammatory mechanisms in Alzheimer's disease: implications for therapy. Am J Psychiatry. 1994 Aug;151(8):1105-13. doi: 10.1176/ajp.151.8.1105.

    PubMed 7518651
  • Anholt RR, De Souza EB, Oster-Granite ML, Snyder SH. Peripheral-type benzodiazepine receptors: autoradiographic localization in whole-body sections of neonatal rats. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 1985 May;233(2):517-26.

    PubMed 2987488
  • Baker M, Mackenzie IR, Pickering-Brown SM, Gass J, Rademakers R, Lindholm C, Snowden J, Adamson J, Sadovnick AD, Rollinson S, Cannon A, Dwosh E, Neary D, Melquist S, Richardson A, Dickson D, Berger Z, Eriksen J, Robinson T, Zehr C, Dickey CA, Crook R, McGowan E, Mann D, Boeve B, Feldman H, Hutton M. Mutations in progranulin cause tau-negative frontotemporal dementia linked to chromosome 17. Nature. 2006 Aug 24;442(7105):916-9. doi: 10.1038/nature05016. Epub 2006 Jul 16.

    PubMed 16862116
  • Paul S, Gallagher E, Liow JS, Mabins S, Henry K, Zoghbi SS, Gunn RN, Kreisl WC, Richards EM, Zanotti-Fregonara P, Morse CL, Hong J, Kowalski A, Pike VW, Innis RB, Fujita M. Building a database for brain 18 kDa translocator protein imaged using [11C]PBR28 in healthy subjects. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab. 2019 Jun;39(6):1138-1147. doi: 10.1177/0271678X18771250. Epub 2018 May 11.

    PubMed 29749279
  • Kreisl WC, Lyoo CH, Liow JS, Snow J, Page E, Jenko KJ, Morse CL, Zoghbi SS, Pike VW, Turner RS, Innis RB. Distinct patterns of increased translocator protein in posterior cortical atrophy and amnestic Alzheimer's disease. Neurobiol Aging. 2017 Mar;51:132-140. doi: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2016.12.006. Epub 2016 Dec 16.

    PubMed 28068564
  • Kreisl WC, Lyoo CH, Liow JS, Wei M, Snow J, Page E, Jenko KJ, Morse CL, Zoghbi SS, Pike VW, Turner RS, Innis RB. (11)C-PBR28 binding to translocator protein increases with progression of Alzheimer's disease. Neurobiol Aging. 2016 Aug;44:53-61. doi: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2016.04.011. Epub 2016 Apr 27.

    PubMed 27318133
  • Lyoo CH, Ikawa M, Liow JS, Zoghbi SS, Morse CL, Pike VW, Fujita M, Innis RB, Kreisl WC. Cerebellum Can Serve As a Pseudo-Reference Region in Alzheimer Disease to Detect Neuroinflammation Measured with PET Radioligand Binding to Translocator Protein. J Nucl Med. 2015 May;56(5):701-6. doi: 10.2967/jnumed.114.146027. Epub 2015 Mar 12.

    PubMed 25766898

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

An observational study of Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration and Dementia, run by National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) at 1 site 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 3 inclusion and 13 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 16 Dec 2019. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site 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?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

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?

Outcome measures will be the amount of [11C]PBR28 binding in the brain in FTD patients and in healthy controls.. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT00613119, which also lists 7 linked publications.

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 16 Dec 2019.

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