GM1 Ganglioside Effects on Parkinson's Disease

Phase 2

Completed

Conditions: Parkinson Disease

Interventions: Drug: Placebo
Drug: GM1 ganglioside

Registration Number: NCT00037830

Lead Sponsor: Thomas Jefferson University

Brief Summary: The purpose of this trial is to examine the short term effects (24 Weeks) of GM1 on Parkinson's disease (PD) symptoms, as well as the effects of long-term treatment (120 Weeks) with GM1 on disease progression, and to examine the extent to which GM1 treatment influences the underlying disease process in PD.

Detailed Description: The study is designed to further examine the extent to which GM1 ganglioside can improve symptoms, delay disease progression, and, perhaps, partially restore damaged brain cells in PD patients. GM1 ganglioside is a chemical that is normally found in the brain and is a normal part of the outer covering or membrane of nerve cells. This study will compare the effectiveness of GM1 to standard PD treatment. In addition to studying clinical measures of motor and cognitive functioning, the investigators will use PET (positron emission tomography) scanning to image the brain and the dopamine nerve endings in a subgroup of patients. Patients with mild to moderate idiopathic PD will be divided into 2 groups. One group will receive GM1 for 24 weeks and the other will receive placebo. At the end of this 24 week period, all patients will enter into a 96 week treatment period in which all patients will receive GM1.

In parallel, a group of standard-of-care patients with mild to moderate PD will be monitored over a 1 to 2 year period to assess the natural progression of PD. These patients will receive the same clinical evaluations as the treatment group subjects but they will not receive the experimental medication.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status: COMPLETED

Sex: All

Target Recruitment: 94

Inclusion Criteria

Not provided

Exclusion Criteria

Not provided

Study & Design

Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL

Study Design: CROSSOVER

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Delayed-Start Group	Placebo	Subjects were randomized to receive placebo for 24 weeks.
Early-Start Group	GM1 ganglioside	Subjects were randomized to receive GM1 ganglioside for 24 weeks.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Change in Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) (Part III) Motor Score From Baseline to Week 24 Assessed Off Medication.	Baseline to Week 24	The Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) (Part III) motor scores assess 14 symptoms some of which separately assess symptoms in different body parts (e.g. right arm, left arm, right leg, left leg) and each symptom is rated on a scale from 0 (normal) to 4 (severe). The minimum total score possible is 0 and the maximum total score possible is 108. Each subject was independently rated by two observers at each study visit and a mean score was calculated for analysis.
Change in Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) (Part III) Motor Scores From Baseline to Week 120 Assessed Off Medication.	Baseline to Week 120	The Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) (Part III) motor scores assess 14 symptoms some of which separately assess symptoms in different body parts (e.g. right arm, left arm, right leg, left leg) and each symptom is rated on a scale from 0 (normal) to 4 (severe). The minimum total score possible is 0 and the maximum total score possible is 108. Each subject was independently rated by two observers at each study visit and a mean score was calculated for analysis.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Change From Baseline to Week 24 in Total Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS)Score Assessed Off Medication	Baseline to Week 24	The total Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) score is derived from Part I (Mentation, Behavior and Mood), Part II (Activities of Daily Living) and Part III (Motor Examination). Part I assesses 4 functions; Part II assesses 13 activities of daily living; Part III assesses 14 motor symptoms. Each item is rated on a scale from 0 (normal) to 4 (severe). The minimum total score possible is 0 and the maximum total score possible is 176. Each subject was independently rated by two observers at each study visit and a mean score was calculated for analysis.
Change in Total UPDRS Score From Baseline to Week 120 Assessed Off Medication	Baseline to Week 120	The total Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) score is derived from Part I (Mentation, Behavior and Mood), Part II (Activities of Daily Living) and Part III (Motor Examination). Part I assesses 4 functions; Part II assesses 13 activities of daily living; Part III assesses 14 motor symptoms. Each item is rated on a scale from 0 (normal) to 4 (severe). The minimum total score possible is 0 and the maximum total score possible is 176. Each subject was independently rated by two observers at each study visit and a mean score was calculated for analysis.
Change in Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) (Part III) Motor Score From Baseline to Week 24 Assessed Off Medication.	Baseline to Week 24	The Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) (Part III) motor scores assess 14 symptoms some of which separately assess symptoms in different body parts (e.g. right arm, left arm, right leg, left leg) and each symptom is rated on a scale from 0 (normal) to 4 (severe). The minimum total score possible is 0 and the maximum total score possible is 108. Each subject was independently rated by two observers at each study visit and a mean score was calculated for analysis.
Change in Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) (Part III) Motor Score From Baseline to Week 48 Assessed Off Medication.	Baseline to Week 48	The Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) (Part III) motor scores assess 14 symptoms some of which separately assess symptoms in different body parts (e.g. right arm, left arm, right leg, left leg) and each symptom is rated on a scale from 0 (normal) to 4 (severe). The minimum total score possible is 0 and the maximum total score possible is 108. Each subject was independently rated by two observers at each study visit and a mean score was calculated for analysis.
Change in Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) (Part III) Motor Score From Baseline to Week 72 Assessed Off Medication.	Baseline to Week 72	The Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) (Part III) motor scores assess 14 symptoms some of which separately assess symptoms in different body parts (e.g. right arm, left arm, right leg, left leg) and each symptom is rated on a scale from 0 (normal) to 4 (severe). The minimum total score possible is 0 and the maximum total score possible is 108. Each subject was independently rated by two observers at each study visit and a mean score was calculated for analysis.
Change in Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) (Part III) Motor Score From Baseline to Week 96 Assessed Off Medication.	Baseline to Week 96	The Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) (Part III) motor scores assess 14 symptoms some of which separately assess symptoms in different body parts (e.g. right arm, left arm, right leg, left leg) and each symptom is rated on a scale from 0 (normal) to 4 (severe). The minimum total score possible is 0 and the maximum total score possible is 108. Each subject was independently rated by two observers at each study visit and a mean score was calculated for analysis.