Growth Hormone Replacement Therapy for Retried Professional Football Players

NCT ID: NCT04121780

Last Updated: 2023-02-08

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

RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

PHASE2

Total Enrollment

42 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2019-10-08

Study Completion Date

2026-09-30

Brief Summary

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

This is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group trial with an open-label extension to evaluate the efficacy of growth hormone (GH) on cognitive functions of retired professional football players with growth hormone deficiency (GHD).

Detailed Description

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

GHD is the most common anterior pituitary abnormality after traumatic brain injury (TBI). It can occur as a result of either direct pituitary or indirect hypothalamic injury. Sports-related repetitive head trauma might induce pituitary dysfunction, and in particular, isolated GHD. Growth hormone replacement therapy (GHRT) has long been known to have a beneficial effect on body composition and exercise capacity. However, it has recently been shown that GHRT also benefits the brain. The primary objective of the current study is to assess the effect of GH on memory, executive function and attention domains of cognitive function in GHD- professional football players with TBI. The study will also utilize the adult growth hormone deficiency assessment (AGHDA) questionnaire, quantitative electroencephalogram (QEEG) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques, respectively, to measure the quality of life (QoL), electrical activity and structural changes in the brain that may correspond to cognitive deficits.

Conditions

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

TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) Concussion, Brain Sport Injury Anterior Pituitary Hyposecretion Syndrome Hypopituitarism Growth Hormone Deficiency

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

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial with an open-label extension
Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

TRIPLE

Participants Investigators Outcome Assessors
3-D printing used to design matching cases (covers) for both the drug and placebo autoinjector pens

Study Groups

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

Growth Hormone

Norditropin® (somatropin \[rDNA origin\] injection) via FlexPro® 30 mg / 3ml strength auto-injector pens (Novo Nordisk Inc).

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Growth Hormone

Intervention Type BIOLOGICAL

Daily self-injections by subjects:

1-year double-blind phase; 6-month open-label extension for those who received placebo during the double-blind phase

Saline

Saline-placebo via auto-injector pens (Haselmeier Inc).

Group Type PLACEBO_COMPARATOR

Placebo

Intervention Type OTHER

Daily self-injections by subjects:

1-year double-blind phase

Interventions

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

Growth Hormone

Daily self-injections by subjects:

1-year double-blind phase; 6-month open-label extension for those who received placebo during the double-blind phase

Intervention Type BIOLOGICAL

Placebo

Daily self-injections by subjects:

1-year double-blind phase

Intervention Type OTHER

Other Intervention Names

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

Norditropin® (somatropin [rDNA origin] injection)

Eligibility Criteria

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

Inclusion Criteria

* The subject is willing to provide a signed and dated informed consent indicating that he understands the purpose and procedures required for the study and is willing to participate in the study.
* Former NFL player
* At least one year since retirement from football
* Less than 76 years of age
* Diagnosis of GHD on clinical grounds by a neurologist and an endocrinologist GHD

Exclusion Criteria

* History of pre-existing brain disease other than concussion or TBI
* History of a premorbid disabling condition that interferes with outcome assessments
* Contraindication to GH therapy
* Type I and II Diabetes mellitus
* Active malignant disease
* Acute critical illness, heart failure, or acute respiratory failure
* Subjects who are deficient in cortisol, testosterone or thyroid at screening will be excluded until hormone abnormalities have been corrected.
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

76 Years

Eligible Sex

MALE

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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

Novo Nordisk A/S

INDUSTRY

Sponsor Role collaborator

Center for Neurological Studies

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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

Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

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

Randall R Benson, MD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Vice President and Medical Director

Locations

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

Center for Neurolgoical Studies (CNS)

Dearborn, Michigan, 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.

Vijay M Baragi, Ph.D.

Role: CONTACT

313-228-0930. ext. 103

John Russell

Role: CONTACT

3132280930

Facility Contacts

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

Vijay Baragi, Ph.D.

Role: primary

313-228-0930

John Russell

Role: backup

3132280930

References

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

Benson RR, Gattu R, Sewick B, Kou Z, Zakariah N, Cavanaugh JM, Haacke EM. Detection of hemorrhagic and axonal pathology in mild traumatic brain injury using advanced MRI: implications for neurorehabilitation. NeuroRehabilitation. 2012;31(3):261-79. doi: 10.3233/NRE-2012-0795.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 23093454 (View on PubMed)

Benson RR, Meda SA, Vasudevan S, Kou Z, Govindarajan KA, Hanks RA, Millis SR, Makki M, Latif Z, Coplin W, Meythaler J, Haacke EM. Global white matter analysis of diffusion tensor images is predictive of injury severity in traumatic brain injury. J Neurotrauma. 2007 Mar;24(3):446-59. doi: 10.1089/neu.2006.0153.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 17402851 (View on PubMed)

Falleti MG, Maruff P, Burman P, Harris A. The effects of growth hormone (GH) deficiency and GH replacement on cognitive performance in adults: a meta-analysis of the current literature. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2006 Jul;31(6):681-91. doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2006.01.005. Epub 2006 Apr 18.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 16621325 (View on PubMed)

Deijen JB, de Boer H, Blok GJ, van der Veen EA. Cognitive impairments and mood disturbances in growth hormone deficient men. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 1996 Apr;21(3):313-22. doi: 10.1016/0306-4530(95)00050-x.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 8817729 (View on PubMed)

Deijen JB, de Boer H, van der Veen EA. Cognitive changes during growth hormone replacement in adult men. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 1998 Jan;23(1):45-55. doi: 10.1016/s0306-4530(97)00092-9.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 9618751 (View on PubMed)

Kelestimur F, Tanriverdi F, Atmaca H, Unluhizarci K, Selcuklu A, Casanueva FF. Boxing as a sport activity associated with isolated GH deficiency. J Endocrinol Invest. 2004 Dec;27(11):RC28-32. doi: 10.1007/BF03345299.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 15754728 (View on PubMed)

Kelly DF, Chaloner C, Evans D, Mathews A, Cohan P, Wang C, Swerdloff R, Sim MS, Lee J, Wright MJ, Kernan C, Barkhoudarian G, Yuen KC, Guskiewicz K. Prevalence of pituitary hormone dysfunction, metabolic syndrome, and impaired quality of life in retired professional football players: a prospective study. J Neurotrauma. 2014 Jul 1;31(13):1161-71. doi: 10.1089/neu.2013.3212. Epub 2014 May 8.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 24552537 (View on PubMed)

High WM Jr, Briones-Galang M, Clark JA, Gilkison C, Mossberg KA, Zgaljardic DJ, Masel BE, Urban RJ. Effect of growth hormone replacement therapy on cognition after traumatic brain injury. J Neurotrauma. 2010 Sep;27(9):1565-75. doi: 10.1089/neu.2009.1253.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 20578825 (View on PubMed)

Reimunde P, Quintana A, Castanon B, Casteleiro N, Vilarnovo Z, Otero A, Devesa A, Otero-Cepeda XL, Devesa J. Effects of growth hormone (GH) replacement and cognitive rehabilitation in patients with cognitive disorders after traumatic brain injury. Brain Inj. 2011;25(1):65-73. doi: 10.3109/02699052.2010.536196. Epub 2010 Nov 30.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 21117918 (View on PubMed)

Moreau OK, Cortet-Rudelli C, Yollin E, Merlen E, Daveluy W, Rousseaux M. Growth hormone replacement therapy in patients with traumatic brain injury. J Neurotrauma. 2013 Jun 1;30(11):998-1006. doi: 10.1089/neu.2012.2705. Epub 2013 Jun 5.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 23323993 (View on PubMed)

Devesa J, Reimunde P, Devesa P, Barbera M, Arce V. Growth hormone (GH) and brain trauma. Horm Behav. 2013 Feb;63(2):331-44. doi: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2012.02.022. Epub 2012 Mar 1.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 22405763 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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

UTN: U1111-1201-5972

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

More Related Trials

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

GH and Cardiovascular Risk Factors
NCT01877512 COMPLETED PHASE4