Targeting a Genetic Mutation in Glycine Metabolism With D-cycloserine
NCT ID: NCT02304432
Last Updated: 2017-09-19
Study Results
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View full resultsBasic Information
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COMPLETED
EARLY_PHASE1
2 participants
INTERVENTIONAL
2015-09-27
2017-07-31
Brief Summary
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The investigators hypothesize that mutation carriers will have reduced endogenous brain glycine and GABA levels and increased brain glutamate and glutamine levels. DCS administration will increase brain glycine in the two carriers compared to baseline and treatment with glycine (0.8g/kg).
The investigators hypothesize reduced activation of magnocellular pathways and abnormal ERPs modulated by NMDA in mutation carriers compared with non-carrier family members and controls.
. The investigators hypothesize that DCS, but not placebo, will improve positive, negative and affective symptoms as well as neurocognitive function.
The investigators also hypothesize that DCS will improve clinical and cognitive functioning, will partially normalize decreased baseline glycine and GABA and increased glutamate and glutamine, and will partially normalize magnocellular pathway activation and abnormal evoked potentials.
Detailed Description
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There is an extensive literature on the effects of NMDA enhancing agents on positive, negative, and depressive symptoms and on neurocognitive function. Although many studies have reported positive results in at least one symptom domain, the results of other studies have been negative or ambiguous. Factors likely to contribute to this variability include: mechanism of action of the agent, compliance, concurrent treatment with first- vs second generation antipsychotic drugs, baseline glycine blood levels, presence/absence of kynurenine pathway metabolic abnormalities and individual differences in brain glycine uptake and metabolism . Genetic variants that impact the synthesis and breakdown of glycine, glutamate, or other modulators of NMDA receptor function are also likely to have significant effects. Although DCS augmentation has shown variable efficacy in patients unselected for having a mutation that would be expected to lower brain glycine levels, the GLDC triplication in the two carriers in this study would be expected to result in unusually low brain glycine levels, supporting its therapeutic potential as an augmentation strategy.
Thus, it is important to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of DCS augmentation in individuals in whom there is a high prior probability of therapeutic benefit and to characterize the neurobiology of this mutation in terms of brain metabolites, brain function, and the pharmacokinetics of glycine metabolism using well-established methods.
Conditions
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Study Design
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RANDOMIZED
CROSSOVER
TREATMENT
QUADRUPLE
Study Groups
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Open label DCS
Both participants received open label D-cycloserine (seromycin), 50 mg/d capsule for 8 weeks.
D-cycloserine
Both participants received open label D-cycloserine (seromycin), 50 mg/d capsule, x 8 weeks.
DCS or placebo
Randomized to DCS or placebo. Participants underwent double-blind placebo-controlled exposures to DCS for 6 weeks or placebo for 6 weeks. One participant received exposure to DCS for 6 weeks and then received placebo dosing for 6 weeks. The other participant received exposure to placebo dosing for 6 weeks and then DCS for 6 weeks.
D-cycloserine
Both participants received open label D-cycloserine (seromycin), 50 mg/d capsule, x 8 weeks.
DCS or placebo
Double-blind placebo-controlled exposures to DCS or placebo x 6 weeks. One participant received exposure to DCS x 6 weeks and then received placebo dosing x 6 weeks. The other participant received exposure to placebo dosing x 6 weeks and then DCS x 6 weeks.
Second open label DCS
Both participants received second open label exposures to D-cycloserine (seromycin), 50 mg/d capsule for 24 weeks.
D-cycloserine
Both participants received second open label D-cycloserine (seromycin), 50 mg/d capsule, x 8 weeks.
Interventions
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D-cycloserine
Both participants received open label D-cycloserine (seromycin), 50 mg/d capsule, x 8 weeks.
DCS or placebo
Double-blind placebo-controlled exposures to DCS or placebo x 6 weeks. One participant received exposure to DCS x 6 weeks and then received placebo dosing x 6 weeks. The other participant received exposure to placebo dosing x 6 weeks and then DCS x 6 weeks.
D-cycloserine
Both participants received second open label D-cycloserine (seromycin), 50 mg/d capsule, x 8 weeks.
Other Intervention Names
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria
Exclusion Criteria
34 Years
62 Years
ALL
No
Sponsors
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University of Minnesota
OTHER
Mclean Hospital
OTHER
Responsible Party
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Deborah L. Levy
Director, Psychology Research Laboratory
Principal Investigators
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Deborah L. Levy, Ph.D.
Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
Mclean Hospital
References
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Provided Documents
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Document Type: Informed Consent Form
Document Type: Study Protocol
Document Type: Statistical Analysis Plan
Other Identifiers
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