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Alzheimer's DiseaseDARAD-MRINCT00692588

MRI to Measure Treatment With Antibiotics in Alzheimer's Disease

An observational study of Alzheimer's Disease, run by St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton at 1 site in Canada.

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

Objectives: To study the changes in brain structure and function using MRI scans in patients treated for Alzheimer's disease. Methods: A pilot study of treating Alzheimer's disease with antibiotics showed some promise that this treatment could delay the deterioration of the mind with this disease. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 50 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Alzheimer's Disease
How many people
58 participants
Where
1 siteCanada
Study dates
Jun 2008to Jun 2010
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 50 years and older
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Adult, Older adult

Study population: Participants in the DARAD Trial (Doxycycline and Rifampicin for Alzheimer's disease).

Who may be able to join

  • (DARAD Trial)
  • Male or female aged 50 years or older.
  • Diagnosis of dementia using standardized DSM IV criteria and probable Alzheimer's disease (NINCDS-ADRDA criteria).
  • SMMSE score 14-26 inclusive.
  • Patients who have a consistent caregiver who will accompany them to clinic visits, ensure medication compliance, monitor and report adverse events and sign informed consent for his or her own participation.
  • Sufficient visual, hearing and communication skills to complete standardized testing in English.
  • Patients or their legally acceptable representatives for personal care who sign informed consent.
  • Otherwise healthy on physical examination and screening physical and laboratory testing.

Who cannot join

  • (DARAD Trial)
  • Patients with neurodegenerative diseases such as Lewy Body dementia, Parkinson's disease, Fronto-temporal Dementia, Huntington's Chorea, Down's Syndrome or Creutzfeld Jacob Disease.
  • Cognitive impairment which may be due to any of the following conditions:
  • acute cerebral trauma, subdural hematoma, injuries from chronic trauma like boxing.
  • Hypoxic cerebral damage e.g. post cardiac arrest, postanesthesia etc.
  • Vitamin deficiency like B12 deficiency will be treated and stabilized for one month before patients will be randomized to the study. Patients taking B12 for more than one month can be included in the study.
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  • Infections like cerebral abscesses, herpes, neurosyphilis, meningitis or AIDS.
  • Primary or metastatic cerebral neoplasia.
  • Endocrine deficiencies like hypercalcemia, hypothyroidism, hyperparathyroidism, Cushing's syndrome, severe renal failure, poorly controlled diabetes mellitus, pituitary disease, etc.
  • Mental retardation. If a patient has one of these conditions and in the opinion of the investigator this condition has stabilized and is not contributing to the decline in cognition then this patient may be included in the study after the steering committee has reviewed the situation and approved participation.
  • Multi-infarct dementia or significant cerebrovascular disease as evidenced by a) stroke with deficit that may confound the assessment of cognitive function or b) multiple focal signs on exam indicative of multiple ischemic events or c) findings on CT or MRI scan that show multiple lacunar infarcts, extensive periventricular white matter lesion, an infarct in the angular gyrus, the thalamus, the basal forebrain, the anterior or posterior cerebral artery territory.
  • Patients with significant intracranial pathology such as tumour or hydrocephalus confirmed by CT or MRI in the past two years. The CT or MRI must be repeated before inclusion if the patient has experienced significant loss of consciousness or other neurological signs or symptoms, step-wise deterioration or has sustained a significant head injury since the last scan was performed. Patients with loss of consciousness, transient ischemic attacks or drop attacks, may be considered if these did not occur in the preceding twelve months.
  • Patients with the following co-existing medical conditions:
  • History of epilepsy or convulsions.
  • Clinically significant psychiatric conditions (based on DSM-IV criteria) like major depression, schizophrenia. A Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia score of 12 or more out of 38.
  • Moderate to severe behavioural disturbances,
  • Clinically significant hepatic, renal, pulmonary, metabolic or endocrine diseases.
  • History of drug or alcohol abuse in the year prior to enrolment.
  • History of myasthenia gravis.
  • Clinically significant cardiac disease such as:
  • Cardiac surgery in the past six months.
  • Unstable angina or poorly controlled congestive heart failure (NYHA III or IV).
  • Uncontrolled hypertension with systolic pressure greater that 180 mmHg. or diastolic pressure greater that 110 mmHg.
  • Patients taking anti-dementia treatments with the following exceptions: donepezil, galantamine, rivastigmine, memantine, ASA up to 650 mg OD, Vitamin E 400 i.u., multi B vitamins, Ginko biloba, Cox II inhibitors or statins. In all cases the dose should have been stable for three months or more, and not be expected to change for the duration of the trial.
  • Patients enrolled in other clinical trials with investigational drugs.
  • Patients taking long term antibiotics (more than one month in the past six months).
  • Allergies to these antibiotics.
  • (MRI)
  • Cardiac pacemaker or implantable defibrillator
  • Cerebral aneurysm clip
  • Neural stimulator (e.g. TENS-Unit)
  • Any type of ear implant
  • Ocular foreign body (e.g. metal shavings)
  • Any implanted device (e.g. insulin pump, drug infusion device)
  • Metal shrapnel or bullet.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Canada1 site
  • St. Joseph's Healthcare

    Hamilton, Ontario, L8N 4A6

Other trials in Canada

About this study

Official title: Magnetic Resonance Imaging to Measure Treatment Effects of Doxycycline and Rifampicin in Alzheimer's Disease

Objectives:

To study the changes in brain structure and function using MRI scans in patients treated for Alzheimer's disease.

Read more

Methods:

A pilot study of treating Alzheimer's disease with antibiotics showed some promise that this treatment could delay the deterioration of the mind with this disease. This study is being replicated on a larger scale, providing a more definitive answer to this question. In addition to looking at changes of the mind (through cognitive tests), we would like to use MRI scans in these patients before and after treatment to study the structural changes and the chemical changes in the brain. This would provide a non-invasive look at the bran processes that protect the brain from the effect of Alzheimer's as well as confirming that the disease has been modified with treatment.

Impact:

The novel treatment of Alzheimer's with antibiotics has provided a potential breakthrough in the field. In addition to verifying changes in the brain, MRI scans can observe HOW this process could occur, thus opening doors to other new treatments for Alzheimer's and perhaps even cures.

Keywords
Alzheimer's Disease, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy, Diffusion Tensor Imaging, Susceptibility Weighted Imaging, Doxycycline, Rifampicin
Medical subject headings
Alzheimer Disease

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

Study groups in NCT00692588
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
PlaceboSubjects who received placebo in DARAD Trial
DoxycyclineSubjects who received doxycycline in DARAD Trial
RifampicinSubjects who received rifampicin in DARAD Trial
Doxycycline and RifampicinSubjects who received doxycycline and rifampicin in DARAD Trial
ControlNormal controls

What is being measured

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

  1. Changes in MRI Pre Vs Post Treatment

    Measured: 1 Year

Secondary outcomes (1)
  1. Comparison of Normal Controls Vs Alzheimer's Disease using MRI

    Measured: 1 Year

Timeline

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

  1. First posted6 Jun 2008 (estimated)
  2. Study startJun 2008
  3. Primary completionJun 2010
  4. Study completionJun 2010

Resources

More details

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

Study design
Study type
Observational
Observational model
Case-control
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrolment
58 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT00692588
Sponsor's protocol ID
R.P. #07-2949
Acronym
DARAD-MRI
Status last verified
Apr 2011
First submitted
4 Jun 2008
Last updated
6 Apr 2011
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

An observational study of Alzheimer's Disease, run by St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton at 1 site in Canada.

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 8 inclusion and 35 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 6 Apr 2011. 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 Canada. 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?

Changes in MRI Pre Vs Post Treatment (time frame: 1 Year). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
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 6 Apr 2011.

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