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Cocaine DependencePhase 2NCT00713583

Carbidopa/Levodopa Combined With Behavioral Therapy for the Treatment of Cocaine Dependence

A Phase 2 study testing levodopa, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Contingency Management in people with Cocaine Dependence, run by The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston 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

Cocaine dependence is a major public health problem and the development of a treatment for this disorder is a priority. To date, treatment interventions based on positive incentive principles have shown the strongest effects for improving substance use outcomes. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 60 years
Conditions the study is for
Cocaine Dependence
What is being tested?
levodopa, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Contingency Management
Could I receive a placebo?
Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
How many people
85 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
Jan 2008to Dec 2011
Phase
Phase 2
Are there results?
Yes, posted in the registrySummary in the doctors' view

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 18 to 60 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult

Who may be able to join

  • between 18 and 60 years of age
  • meet Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th. Edition (DSM-IV) criteria for current cocaine dependence.
  • be in acceptable health on the basis of interview, medical history and physical exam.

Who cannot join

  • current DSM-IV diagnosis of any psychoactive substance dependence other than cocaine, marijuana, or nicotine.
  • have a DSM-IV axis I psychiatric disorder or neurological disease or disorder requiring ongoing treatment and/or making study participation unsafe.
  • have significant current suicidal or homicidal ideation.
  • have medical conditions contraindicating levodopa/carbidopa pharmacotherapy. Conditions include severe pulmonary disease (bronchial asthma, emphysema), cardiovascular disease (severe or history of myocardial infarction with residual arrhythmias), narrow angle glaucoma, melanoma, history of peptic ulcer, renal function impairment.
  • taking medications known to have significant drug interactions with levodopa/carbidopa (e.g., monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors, anticonvulsants, haloperidol, phenothiazines, selegiline, anesthetics).
  • currently or recently (last 3 months) treated for substance use or another psychiatric condition.
Show all 10Show fewer
  • having conditions of probation or parole requiring reports of drug use to officers of the court.
  • impending incarceration.
  • pregnant or nursing for female patients.
  • inability to read, write, or speak English.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site
  • The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

    Houston, Texas, 77030

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: Contingency Management Plus Levodopa/Carbidopa for Treatment of Cocaine Dependence

Cocaine dependence is a major public health problem and the development of a treatment for this disorder is a priority. To date, treatment interventions based on positive incentive principles have shown the strongest effects for improving substance use outcomes. One such example is contingency management (CM) interventions in which nondrug rewards are used to compete with cocaine. Recent evidence suggests that certain medications improve response to CM interventions, particularly agents that target dopamine reward systems in the brain. A promising dopamine-enhancing medication is levodopa. The study team has observed the strongest effects of levodopa when the medication is administered in the context of CM therapy, perhaps through mechanisms that enhance reward saliency. The proposed study is designed to further evaluate this promising treatment approach. Cocaine dependent outpatients will participate in a randomized, 2-group (levodopa vs. placebo), double-blind clinical trial. CM will be behavioral therapy platform for both treatment groups. The study will test the primary hypothesis that CM+levodopa will be more effective than CM+placebo in reducing cocaine use. This study is expected to validate the usefulness of a new behavioral-pharmacological treatment approach for cocaine dependence.

Being tested
levodopa, Placebo, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Contingency Management
Keywords
Cocaine, levodopa, contingency management
Medical subject headings
Cocaine-Related Disorders

What participants receive

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

  • levodopaDrug

    Also called Sinemet

    800mg levodopa and 200mg carbidopa per day

  • PlaceboDrug

    Placebo

  • Cognitive Behavioral TherapyBehavioural

    Participants received individual cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in 50-minute weekly sessions. These sessions were manual-driven and based on the relapse prevention model proposed by Marlatt and Gordon (1985). Trained masters-level therapists, under the supervision of senior therapists and the principal investigator, worked with participants to teach them how to recognize and cope with risky situations that could influence their cocaine use through self-monitoring of situational craving and drug use stimuli, coping skills training, and lifestyle modifications.

  • Contingency ManagementBehavioural

    An abstinence-based contingency management (CM) procedure was used. Participants earned vouchers according to the reward schedule recommended by Budney and Higgins (1998), beginning at $2.50 for the first cocaine-negative urine. For each consecutive cocaine-negative urine, voucher values increased by $1.25 with a $10 bonus given for provision of three consecutive cocaine-negative urines within a week. A cocaine-positive urine or failure to provide a scheduled urine sample resulted in a reset of the schedule to the initial value of $2.50. After provision of five negative urines, the voucher returned to the value prior to the reset. Participants were able to redeem their vouchers for small amounts of cash (≤$25) or gift cards for goods and services.

Study groups in NCT00713583
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Levodopa pharmacotherapyExperimentalLevodopa pharmacotherapy (800mg levodopa and 200mg carbidopa per day), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and contingency management (CM).
Receives: Drug: levodopa; Behavioral: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; Behavioral: Contingency Management
PlaceboPlacebo comparatorPlacebo, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and contingency management (CM).
Receives: Drug: Placebo; Behavioral: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; Behavioral: Contingency Management

What is being measured

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

  1. Confirmed Abstinence From Cocaine as Assessed by Treatment Effectiveness Score (TES)

    The Treatment Effectiveness Score (TES) is the number of cocaine-negative urines collected out of the total scheduled urine tests for the 12-week trial (36 total scheduled urine tests per participant). The mean number of cocaine-negative urines over all time points is reported in this outcome measure.

    Measured: 12 weeks of treatment

Timeline

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

  1. First posted11 Jul 2008 (estimated)
  2. Study startJan 2008
  3. Primary completionDec 2011
  4. Study completionDec 2011

Resources

More details

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

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase 2
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
Quadruple blind
Who is masked
Participant, Care provider, Investigator, Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
85 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT00713583
Sponsor's protocol ID
1R01DA023608-01
Other IDs
1R01DA023608-01, R01DA023608-01, DPMCDA
Status last verified
Mar 2018
First submitted
9 Jul 2008
Last updated
23 Apr 2018
Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
Yes
FDA-regulated device
No

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Phase 2 study testing levodopa, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Contingency Management in people with Cocaine Dependence, run by The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston 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 10 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 23 Apr 2018. 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. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

What does this phase mean?

Phase 2 studies give the treatment to a larger group to see whether it has the intended effect and to keep checking safety.

Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.

Are results available for this study?

Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 19 Mar 2018). A summary is in the For doctors view, and the full results are on ClinicalTrials.gov.

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?

Confirmed Abstinence From Cocaine as Assessed by Treatment Effectiveness Score (TES) (time frame: 12 weeks of treatment). 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 23 Apr 2018.

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