Delta-THC in Dementia

NCT ID: NCT01608217

Last Updated: 2014-06-30

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

Get a concise snapshot of the trial, including recruitment status, study phase, enrollment targets, and key timeline milestones.

Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

PHASE2

Total Enrollment

50 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2012-06-30

Study Completion Date

2014-06-30

Brief Summary

Review the sponsor-provided synopsis that highlights what the study is about and why it is being conducted.

This is a phase II, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, parallel-group, multicentre study to the efficacy and safety of low dose delta-9-THC in behavioural disturbances and pain in patients with mild to severe dementia, when added to an analgesic treatment with acetaminophen.

It is hypothesized that Namisol® will lead to more behavioural disturbances than placebo, when added to an analgesic treatment with acetaminophen, and as measured by a change in Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) score, after a three week treatment period.

It is expected that this will be due, primarily, to psychoactive effects of Namisol® and secondary to a reduction in pain sensation (as measured with VRS and PACSLAC-D). It is expected that a reduction in NPS will positively affect quality of life and lead to better functioning in daily living.

Detailed Description

Dive into the extended narrative that explains the scientific background, objectives, and procedures in greater depth.

There is a high prevalence of behavioural disturbances (NPS) in persons with dementia. Persistent pain complaints can be a cause of NPS. Unfortunately, there is a lack of appropriate drugs for treating both these problems. This and positive suggestions from preliminary clinical studies with THC on NPS and directly fuel the study presented here.

This will be a phase II study in which the efficacy and safety of Namisol® (a tablet with THC) on behavioural disturbances, such as agitation, aggression and motor disturbances in dementia patients will be evaluated.

Secondary study objectives are :

2\. To evaluate the efficacy of Namisol® on other secondary outcome measures, such as quality of life and functioning in daily activities.

3\. To evaluate safety of Namisol® as assessed with physical examination, effects on cognitive functioning and adverse event monitoring.

4\. For the subgroup of subjects suffering from pain: to evaluate the efficacy of Namisol® pain intensity

It is hypothesized that Namisol® will lead to more reduction in behavioural disturbances than placebo, when added to an analgesic treatment with acetaminophen, and as measured by a change in Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) score, after a three week treatment period. It is expected that this will be due, primarily, to psychoactive effects of Namisol® and secondary to a reduction in pain sensation (as measured with VRS and PACSLAC-D). It is expected that a reduction in NPS will positively affect quality of life and lead to better functioning in daily living

This is a randomized placebo-controlled double-blind parallel-group multicentre study.

Subjects who appear to fulfill the eligibility criteria are informed about the study. After signing informed consent by the subject and/or caregiver, a screening visit will take place. Subjects who are eligible for participation enter a wash-out period, for discontinuation of their own analgesic medication (if applicable). Subjects will be randomly allocated to receive one of the two interventions (Namisol® 1.5 mg + acetaminophen 1000 mg three times daily, or placebo + acetaminophen 1000 mg three times daily) for a double-blind intervention period of three weeks. After two weeks the primary outcome measure (NPI) is assessed by a telephone interview with the caregiver. Subjects visit the site twice (at baseline and after three weeks treatment) for assessments of the outcome parameters, including the NPI. For the purpose of compliance and safety, there will be a weekly phone call, performed by the researcher. After completion of this period subject's own analgesic treatment will be restarted (if applicable). After a follow up phase of two weeks, the subject is contacted by telephone for assessment of adverse events.

Conditions

See the medical conditions and disease areas that this research is targeting or investigating.

Behavioural Disturbances Pain Dementia Alzheimer's Dementia Vascular Dementia

Keywords

Explore important study keywords that can help with search, categorization, and topic discovery.

Behavioural disturbances Pain Dementia Alzheimer's dementia Vascular dementia THC Cannabis

Study Design

Understand how the trial is structured, including allocation methods, masking strategies, primary purpose, and other design elements.

Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

QUADRUPLE

Participants Caregivers Investigators Outcome Assessors

Study Groups

Review each arm or cohort in the study, along with the interventions and objectives associated with them.

Namisol

Namisol is a tablet containing delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, the main cannabinoid from Cannabis sativa L. Namisol is added to a standardized treatment with acetaminophen.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta-THC)

Intervention Type DRUG

delta-THC 1.5 mg (tablet)three times daily for a period of 3 weeks.

Acetaminophen

Intervention Type DRUG

Acetaminophen 1000 mg three times daily for a period of 3 weeks

Placebo

The control product is placebo, consisting of a tablet with similar appearance and taste of the test product. Placebo is added to a standardized treatment with acetaminophen.

Group Type PLACEBO_COMPARATOR

Placebo

Intervention Type DRUG

placebo (tablet) three times daily for a period of three weeks.

Acetaminophen

Intervention Type DRUG

Acetaminophen 1000 mg three times daily for a period of three weeks

Interventions

Learn about the drugs, procedures, or behavioral strategies being tested and how they are applied within this trial.

delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta-THC)

delta-THC 1.5 mg (tablet)three times daily for a period of 3 weeks.

Intervention Type DRUG

Placebo

placebo (tablet) three times daily for a period of three weeks.

Intervention Type DRUG

Acetaminophen

Acetaminophen 1000 mg three times daily for a period of 3 weeks

Intervention Type DRUG

Acetaminophen

Acetaminophen 1000 mg three times daily for a period of three weeks

Intervention Type DRUG

Other Intervention Names

Discover alternative or legacy names that may be used to describe the listed interventions across different sources.

Namisol Cannabis ECP002A Paracetamol Paracetamol

Eligibility Criteria

Check the participation requirements, including inclusion and exclusion rules, age limits, and whether healthy volunteers are accepted.

Inclusion Criteria

* Subject has possible or probable dementia, type Alzheimer, vascular or mixed type dementia, according to the criteria of NINCDS-ADRDA/NINCDS-AIREN or based on an expert panel decision.
* Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) score 1 to 3 (mild to severe dementia).
* Age ≥ 40 years.
* Clinically relevant behavioral disturbances existing at least one month prior to screening, defined as a score of ≥ 10 on the NPI, including presence of the domain agitation/aggression or motor disturbance.
* Women should be in the postmenopausal phase.
* Availability of an informal or formal caregiver, being in touch with the subject at least twice a week.
* Informed consent by the subject and subject's informal caregiver.
* If applicable: subject is willing to stop his/her own pain medication, for the duration of the study.

Exclusion Criteria

* Dementia other than AD, VaD or AD/VaD
* Major psychiatric disorder such as: major depression according to DSM IV within 6 months prior to randomization, history of psychosis or mania, current hallucinations and/or delirium, current suicidal ideation or major anxiety disorder.
* History of, or current drug abuse.
* Current alcohol abuse or unwillingness to use no more than 2 alcoholic consumptions daily or raised gamma-glutamine transpeptidase and alkaline phosphatase .
* Clinical or biochemical evidence of liver disease (ALT or AST ≥ twice the upper limit of normal) or known allergy to acetaminophen.
* Severe (and/or unstable) concomitant or intercurrent illness, such as seizure, arrhythmias requiring other drugs than a beta blocker or digoxin (except sinus arrhythmia and atrial fibrillation), unstable angina pectoris, heart failure NYHA III or IV, and severe concomitant illness that requires treatment changes.
* Known or suspected sensitivity to cannabinoids.
* Lactosis intolerance.
* Frequent falling due to orthostatic hypotension.
* Use of tricyclic antidepressants (TCA), fluoxetine and/or carbamazepine.
* Changes in dosage of antipsychotics, benzodiazepines or cholinesterase inhibitors within 2 weeks prior to intervention.
* Participation in any other study other than the descriptive 'Parelsnoer' study.
Minimum Eligible Age

40 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

Meet the organizations funding or collaborating on the study and learn about their roles.

Health Valley, Netherlands

NETWORK

Sponsor Role collaborator

Radboud University Medical Center

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

Identify the individual or organization who holds primary responsibility for the study information submitted to regulators.

Marcel Olde Rikkert

Prof. dr. Marcel Olde Rikkert

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Learn about the lead researchers overseeing the trial and their institutional affiliations.

Marcel Olde Rikkert, prof. dr.

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Radboud University Medical Center Nijmegen

Willem Verhoeven, Prof. dr.

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Vincent van Gogh voor Geestelijke Gezondheidszorg

Locations

Explore where the study is taking place and check the recruitment status at each participating site.

Radboud university medical center, department of Geriatrics

Nijmegen, Gelderland, Netherlands

Site Status

Vincent van Gogh Institute for Psychiatry, department of Elderly

Venlo, Limburg, Netherlands

Site Status

Countries

Review the countries where the study has at least one active or historical site.

Netherlands

References

Explore related publications, articles, or registry entries linked to this study.

Bosnjak Kuharic D, Markovic D, Brkovic T, Jeric Kegalj M, Rubic Z, Vuica Vukasovic A, Jeroncic A, Puljak L. Cannabinoids for the treatment of dementia. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2021 Sep 17;9(9):CD012820. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD012820.pub2.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 34532852 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

Review additional registry numbers or institutional identifiers associated with this trial.

2011-005289-39

Identifier Type: EUDRACT_NUMBER

Identifier Source: secondary_id

NL38617.091.12

Identifier Type: REGISTRY

Identifier Source: secondary_id

GER001-02-02

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id