Ashwagandha for Cognitive Dysfunction

NCT ID: NCT04092647

Last Updated: 2023-06-15

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

UNKNOWN

Clinical Phase

PHASE2

Total Enrollment

80 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2023-01-01

Study Completion Date

2025-07-01

Brief Summary

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

This is a 1:1 randomized double blinded placebo controlled trial. • To determine if ashwagandha can improve cognitive dysfunction when compared with placebo in patients undergoing chemotherapy for cancer.

Detailed Description

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

Patients are eligible if they are currently undergoing chemotherapy or treatment with chemotherapy in the past year and state that they notice thinking or memory problems. Patients will be given FACT-Cog PCI (Version 3). Patients that score less than 63, a score that reflects moderate to severe cognitive problems, are confirmed eligible. Subjects will be randomized 1:1 in blocks of 4.

Thyroid hormone testing will be conducted at baseline and at the end of week 6 for patients with a history of thyroid disease.

Patients will receive ashwagandha 350 mg po BID or placebo. The investigators and participants will be blinded to group assignment.

Endpoint testing including the FACT-Cog PCI and total score, Hopkins verbal learning test, trail making test (abstraction and executive function), and Mini Mental Status Exam (MMSE) will be administered at baseline and after 9 weeks of treatment. Six months after stopping the study, patients will receive a link to a REDCap database to complete the FACT-Cog and state whether they used ashwagandha once they completed the study.

Active study participation will be for 9 weeks.

Conditions

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

Chemo Fog

Study Design

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

Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

CROSSOVER

This is a 1:1 randomized double blinded placebo controlled trial.
Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

DOUBLE

Participants Investigators

Study Groups

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

ashwagandha

Ashwagandha

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Ashwagandha

Intervention Type DRUG

Ashwagandha 350 mg po BID

placebo

Placebo

Group Type PLACEBO_COMPARATOR

Placebo

Intervention Type DRUG

Placebo 350 mg po BID

Interventions

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

Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha 350 mg po BID

Intervention Type DRUG

Placebo

Placebo 350 mg po BID

Intervention Type DRUG

Eligibility Criteria

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

Inclusion Criteria

1. Age 18 years and older
2. English speaking
3. Currently undergoing chemotherapy or treatment with chemotherapy in the past year
4. Self-reported memory loss, attention, visual-spatial functioning, reasoning, or information processing or cognitive changes in the first 2 cycles of chemotherapy and score \< 63 on the FACT-Cog PCI
5. Able to follow instructions for testing and comply with testing
6. Able to swallow pills

Exclusion Criteria

1. Undergoing treatment for any hormone dependent cancer
2. Planned surgical treatment
3. History of pre-existing dementia, untreated depression, psychiatric disorder, prior brain radiation or brain injury
4. History of hypotension
5. Active autoimmune disease
6. Brain metastasis
7. Taking any drugs daily that would alter cognition
8. Concurrent use of benzodiazepenes or other sedatives
9. Concurrent use of supplements that can cause sedation such as 5-HTP, calamus, California poppy, hops, Jamaican dogwood, kava, St.John's Wort, skullcap, valerian, yerba mansa
10. Currently taking hypoglycemic medications
11. History of substance abuse
12. Current or recent diagnosis of stomach ulcer or gastritis
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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

Sutter Health

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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

Deepti Behl

Principal Investigator

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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

Deepti Behl, MD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Sutter Health

Carol Parise, PhD

Role: STUDY_DIRECTOR

Sutter Health

Locations

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

Sutter Cancer Center

Sacramento, California, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

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

United States

Central Contacts

Reach out to these primary contacts for questions about participation or study logistics.

Michele Guillen

Role: CONTACT

9168874656

Carol Parise, PhD

Role: CONTACT

9168874744

Facility Contacts

Find local site contact details for specific facilities participating in the trial.

Deepti Behl, MD

Role: primary

916-453-3300

References

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

Janelsins MC, Heckler CE, Peppone LJ, Kamen C, Mustian KM, Mohile SG, Magnuson A, Kleckner IR, Guido JJ, Young KL, Conlin AK, Weiselberg LR, Mitchell JW, Ambrosone CA, Ahles TA, Morrow GR. Cognitive Complaints in Survivors of Breast Cancer After Chemotherapy Compared With Age-Matched Controls: An Analysis From a Nationwide, Multicenter, Prospective Longitudinal Study. J Clin Oncol. 2017 Feb 10;35(5):506-514. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2016.68.5826. Epub 2016 Dec 28.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 28029304 (View on PubMed)

Ahles TA, Saykin AJ, Furstenberg CT, Cole B, Mott LA, Skalla K, Whedon MB, Bivens S, Mitchell T, Greenberg ER, Silberfarb PM. Neuropsychologic impact of standard-dose systemic chemotherapy in long-term survivors of breast cancer and lymphoma. J Clin Oncol. 2002 Jan 15;20(2):485-93. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2002.20.2.485.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 11786578 (View on PubMed)

Inagaki M, Yoshikawa E, Matsuoka Y, Sugawara Y, Nakano T, Akechi T, Wada N, Imoto S, Murakami K, Uchitomi Y. Smaller regional volumes of brain gray and white matter demonstrated in breast cancer survivors exposed to adjuvant chemotherapy. Cancer. 2007 Jan 1;109(1):146-56. doi: 10.1002/cncr.22368.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 17131349 (View on PubMed)

Wefel JS, Saleeba AK, Buzdar AU, Meyers CA. Acute and late onset cognitive dysfunction associated with chemotherapy in women with breast cancer. Cancer. 2010 Jul 15;116(14):3348-56. doi: 10.1002/cncr.25098.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 20564075 (View on PubMed)

Hardy SJ, Krull KR, Wefel JS, Janelsins M. Cognitive Changes in Cancer Survivors. Am Soc Clin Oncol Educ Book. 2018 May 23;38:795-806. doi: 10.1200/EDBK_201179.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 30231372 (View on PubMed)

Lawrence JA, Griffin L, Balcueva EP, Groteluschen DL, Samuel TA, Lesser GJ, Naughton MJ, Case LD, Shaw EG, Rapp SR. A study of donepezil in female breast cancer survivors with self-reported cognitive dysfunction 1 to 5 years following adjuvant chemotherapy. J Cancer Surviv. 2016 Feb;10(1):176-84. doi: 10.1007/s11764-015-0463-x. Epub 2015 Jul 1.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 26130292 (View on PubMed)

Tong T, Pei C, Chen J, Lv Q, Zhang F, Cheng Z. Efficacy of Acupuncture Therapy for Chemotherapy-Related Cognitive Impairment in Breast Cancer Patients. Med Sci Monit. 2018 May 8;24:2919-2927. doi: 10.12659/MSM.909712.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 29735975 (View on PubMed)

Kaur T, Kaur G. Withania somnifera as a potential candidate to ameliorate high fat diet-induced anxiety and neuroinflammation. J Neuroinflammation. 2017 Oct 12;14(1):201. doi: 10.1186/s12974-017-0975-6.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 29025435 (View on PubMed)

Kuboyama T, Tohda C, Komatsu K. Effects of Ashwagandha (roots of Withania somnifera) on neurodegenerative diseases. Biol Pharm Bull. 2014;37(6):892-7. doi: 10.1248/bpb.b14-00022.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 24882401 (View on PubMed)

Gupta M, Kaur G. Aqueous extract from the Withania somnifera leaves as a potential anti-neuroinflammatory agent: a mechanistic study. J Neuroinflammation. 2016 Aug 22;13(1):193. doi: 10.1186/s12974-016-0650-3.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 27550017 (View on PubMed)

Pingali U, Pilli R, Fatima N. Effect of standardized aqueous extract of Withania somnifera on tests of cognitive and psychomotor performance in healthy human participants. Pharmacognosy Res. 2014 Jan;6(1):12-8. doi: 10.4103/0974-8490.122912.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 24497737 (View on PubMed)

Chengappa KN, Bowie CR, Schlicht PJ, Fleet D, Brar JS, Jindal R. Randomized placebo-controlled adjunctive study of an extract of withania somnifera for cognitive dysfunction in bipolar disorder. J Clin Psychiatry. 2013 Nov;74(11):1076-83. doi: 10.4088/JCP.13m08413.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 24330893 (View on PubMed)

Choudhary D, Bhattacharyya S, Bose S. Efficacy and Safety of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal) Root Extract in Improving Memory and Cognitive Functions. J Diet Suppl. 2017 Nov 2;14(6):599-612. doi: 10.1080/19390211.2017.1284970. Epub 2017 Feb 21.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 28471731 (View on PubMed)

Biswal BM, Sulaiman SA, Ismail HC, Zakaria H, Musa KI. Effect of Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha) on the development of chemotherapy-induced fatigue and quality of life in breast cancer patients. Integr Cancer Ther. 2013 Jul;12(4):312-22. doi: 10.1177/1534735412464551. Epub 2012 Nov 9.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 23142798 (View on PubMed)

Panda S, Kar A. Changes in thyroid hormone concentrations after administration of ashwagandha root extract to adult male mice. J Pharm Pharmacol. 1998 Sep;50(9):1065-8. doi: 10.1111/j.2042-7158.1998.tb06923.x.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 9811169 (View on PubMed)

Panda S, Kar A. Withania somnifera and Bauhinia purpurea in the regulation of circulating thyroid hormone concentrations in female mice. J Ethnopharmacol. 1999 Nov 1;67(2):233-9. doi: 10.1016/s0378-8741(99)00018-5.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 10619390 (View on PubMed)

Sharma AK, Basu I, Singh S. Efficacy and Safety of Ashwagandha Root Extract in Subclinical Hypothyroid Patients: A Double-Blind, Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial. J Altern Complement Med. 2018 Mar;24(3):243-248. doi: 10.1089/acm.2017.0183. Epub 2017 Aug 22.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 28829155 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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

SIMR_onc19_IIS_Behl_Ashwaga

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

More Related Trials

Additional clinical trials that may be relevant based on similarity analysis.

Chamomile Therapy for Generalized Anxiety
NCT00645983 COMPLETED PHASE4