An Exploratory, Randomized, Blinded, Placebo-Controlled Trial of Folic Acid and L-methylfolate in Parkinson's Disease

May 13, 2015 updated by: Northwell Health
This study is being conducted to assess the impact of folate and L-methylfolate on the progression of Parkinson's. The investigators are specifically looking for the effect of these nutritional supplements in Parkinson's patients who have an antibody that effects their body's utilization of folate. An antibody is a protein produced by the body's immune system to recognize foreign substances. Normally, people do not have an antibody that prevents folate from working properly in the brain but it appears that some people may have such an antibody. Folate is an important vitamin that takes part in many critical cell functions so an antibody that prevented it from entering the brain properly could cause or worsen certain neurological disorders like Parkinson's. The results of this preliminary study will help determine whether it is reasonable to proceed with further study of any of these supplements for the treatment of Parkinson's. Patients interested in participating will have a blood test to see if they have folate antibodies. Patients with the antibody will be eligible to further participate in the study. The investigators will measure the effects of folate and L-methylfolate on Parkinson's disease by measuring the change in your Parkinson's disease symptoms over three months of treatment. The investigators will also be looking at the blood of some individuals who do not have Parkinson's. This is called a control group and will allow us to compare how common the folate antibody is in the general population compared with the Parkinson's population.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Terminated

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
150

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • New York
      • Manhasset, New York, United States, 11030
        • The Feinstein Institute For Medical Recearch

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

30 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • PD subjects:

    • Diagnosis of Parkinson's based upon the presence of 2 or more of the cardinal clinical features of the disease as determined by a movement disorders specialist.
    • Age > 30.
    • Able to provide informed consent.
    • All anti-Parkinson's medications will be permitted but all evaluations will be done in the medication OFF state (at least 12 hours following the last dose of medication).
  • Healthy Controls *Age > 30

Exclusion Criteria:

  • PD Subjects:

    • Age < 30.
    • Presence of concomitant active neurological disorders as deemed significant by the investigator.
    • History of clinically significant diabetes, vascular disease, renal, thyroid or hepatic dysfunction or of Leber's optic neuropathy as determined by the investigator.
    • History of significant medical illness as determined by the investigators.
    • The following medications will be excluded: thiazide diuretics, azathioprine, phenytoin, phenobarbital, primidone, sulfa-containing medications, cimetidine, anti-tuberculosis medications, methotrexate, chemotherapeutic agents and oral contraceptives.
    • Subjects taking vitamin supplementation in excess of one daily standard multivitamin.
    • Pregnancy (excluded not for perceived risk but because most pregnant women are taking supplemental folate).

  • Healthy Controls:

    • Age < 30
    • Any known active neurological condition deemed significant by the investigator.
    • History of significant, active renal or hepatic dysfunction as determined by the investigator.
    • History of significant active medical illness as determined by the investigators.
    • The following medications will be excluded: thiazide diuretics, azathioprine, phenytoin, phenobarbital, primidone, sulfa-containing medications, cimetidine, anti-tuberculosis medications, methotrexate, chemotherapeutic agents and oral contraceptives.
    • Subjects taking vitamin supplementation in excess of one standard daily multivitamin.
    • Pregnancy (most pregnant women are taking folate).

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Active Comparator: Arm 1. B6, B12, folate
Triple therapy with folate. Intervention #1.
Dietary supplement: Folic Acid, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12
Intervention #1. A combination of the following vitamin supplements: 2.5mg of folate, 25mg of vitamin B6 and 2mg of vitamin B12. This combination will be described as "triple therapy with folate."
Active Comparator: Arm 2. B6, B12, L-methylfolate
Triple therapy with L-methylfolate. Intervention #2
Dietary supplement: B6, B12, L-methylfolate
Intervention #2. A combination of the following vitamin supplements: 2.8mg of L-methylfolate, 25 mg of vitamin B6 and 2mg of vitamin B12.
Placebo Comparator: Arm 3. B6, B12, Placebo
Triple therapy with placebo. Intervention #3.
Dietary supplement: B6, B12, Placebo
Intervention #3. A combination of the following vitamin supplements: 25mg of vitamin B6 and 2mg of vitamin B12 without supplementary folate or L-methylfolate. This combination will be described as "triple therapy with placebo"

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Time Frame
This study is being conducted to assess the impact of folate and L-methylfolate on the progression of Parkinson's. The primary endpoint variable will be the change in UPDRS from baseline to 3 months ("change score").
Time Frame: 3 years
3 years

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Secondary endpoints will be Folate receptor autoantibody levels and plasma Hcy levels
Time Frame: 3 years
3 years

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Northwell Health

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Michael Pourfar, MD, Northwell Health

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
December 1, 2006

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
June 1, 2010

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
June 1, 2010

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
February 26, 2009

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
February 27, 2009

First Posted (Estimate)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
March 2, 2009

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
May 15, 2015

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
May 13, 2015

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
May 1, 2015

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • GCRC 0143

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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