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ConstipationNCT02459717

Pre-biotics and Probiotics for Constipation in Parkinson's Disease

A study testing Probiotics and prebiotic in people with Constipation, run by Emanuele Cereda at 1 site in Italy.

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

Constipation is the most frequent (prevalence, about 60%) dysautonomic non motor symptom affecting Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. Unfortunately, limited treatment options have been investigated and are now available for the management of constipation in PD. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 90 years
Conditions the study is for
Constipation
What is being tested?
Probiotics and prebiotic
Could I receive a placebo?
Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
How many people
120 participants
Where
1 siteItaly
Study dates
Jun 2015to Oct 2015
Phase
Interventional
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 18 to 90 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • diagnosis of constipation according to Roma III criteria
  • complete bowel movements per week <3
  • total bowel movements per week <6
  • written informed consent

Who cannot join

  • report of loose (mushy) or watery stool in the absence of laxative use
  • ongoing artificial nutrition
  • lactose intolerance
  • chronic inflammatory bowel disease
  • previous abdominal surgery
  • use of anti-cholinergics
Show all 9Show fewer
  • use of antibiotics in the 6 weeks before baseline visit
  • Radio- chemotherapy
  • Cognitive decline (Mini Mental State Examination <27)

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Italy1 site
  • IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Mondino

    Pavia

Other trials in Italy

About this study

Official title: Double Blind, Placebo-controlled Trial of a Fermented Milk Containing Multiple Probiotics Strains and Prebiotic Fiber for Constipation Associated With Parkinson's Disease

Constipation is the most frequent (prevalence, about 60%) dysautonomic non motor symptom affecting Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. Unfortunately, limited treatment options have been investigated and are now available for the management of constipation in PD. Preliminary data have suggested that probiotics could be help improving bowel habits but high-quality randomized trials are required in this area. Therefore, the investigators designed a randomized trial to evaluate whether the use of a fermented milk containing multiple probiotics strains and prebiotic fiber have a beneficial effect on constipation in PD compared to placebo.

Conditions
Constipation
Being tested
Probiotics and prebiotic, Placebo
Medical subject headings
Constipation

What participants receive

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

  • Probiotics and prebioticOther

    Patients will receive daily (at breakfast) a fermented milk (125 grams), containing multiple probiotics strains and prebiotic fiber

  • PlaceboOther

    Patients will receive daily (at breakfast) a placebo (pasteurized fermented milk without prebiotics)

Study groups in NCT02459717
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Probiotics and prebioticExperimentalfermented milk (125 grams), containing multiple probiotics strains and prebiotic fiber
Receives: Other: Probiotics and prebiotic
PlaceboPlacebo comparatorpasteurized fermented milk (125 grams) without prebiotics
Receives: Other: Placebo

What is being measured

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

  1. Complete bowel movements

    Change in the mean number of complete spontaneous bowel movements

    Measured: 4 weeks

Secondary outcomes (7)
  1. Number of bowel movements

    Change in the mean number of spontaneous bowel movements

    Measured: 4 weeks

  2. Stool consistency

    Change in mean stool consistency (scored with the use of the 7-point Bristol Stool Form Scale)

    Measured: 4 weeks

  3. Laxative use

    Change in the mean use of laxative

    Measured: 4 weeks

  4. Treatment satisfaction

    Satisfaction with the trial medication's ability to relieve constipation symptoms as assessed by a self-rating scale

    Measured: 4 weeks

  5. Treatment continuation

    Likelihood that patients would continue taking the trial treatment as assessed by a self-rating scale

    Measured: 4 weeks

  6. Increase in one or more complete bowel movements

    Percentage of patients reporting an increase in one or more complete bowel movements

    Measured: 4 weeks

  7. Frequency of three or more complete bowel movements

    Percentage of patients reporting three or more complete bowel movements

    Measured: 4 weeks

Timeline

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

  1. First posted2 Jun 2015 (estimated)
  2. Study startJun 2015
  3. Primary completionOct 2015
  4. Study completionOct 2015

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 N/A
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
Quadruple blind
Who is masked
Participant, Care provider, Investigator, Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
120 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT02459717
Sponsor's protocol ID
66/INT/2015
Status last verified
Oct 2015
First submitted
26 May 2015
Last updated
1 May 2025
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No

Publications

  • Todd CL, Johnson EE, Stewart F, Wallace SA, Bryant A, Woodward S, Norton C. Conservative, physical and surgical interventions for managing faecal incontinence and constipation in adults with central neurological diseases. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2024 Oct 29;10(10):CD002115. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD002115.pub6.

    PubMed 39470206
  • Barichella M, Pacchetti C, Bolliri C, Cassani E, Iorio L, Pusani C, Pinelli G, Privitera G, Cesari I, Faierman SA, Caccialanza R, Pezzoli G, Cereda E. Probiotics and prebiotic fiber for constipation associated with Parkinson disease: An RCT. Neurology. 2016 Sep 20;87(12):1274-80. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000003127. Epub 2016 Aug 19.

    PubMed 27543643

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Probiotics and prebiotic in people with Constipation, run by Emanuele Cereda at 1 site in Italy.

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 4 inclusion and 9 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 1 May 2025. 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 Italy. 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.

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?

Complete bowel movements (time frame: 4 weeks). 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 NCT02459717, which also lists 2 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 1 May 2025.

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