Assessment of Persistent Cognitive Impairment After Cure of Cushing's Disease (MEMOCUSH)

November 26, 2025 updated by: Institut National de la Santé Et de la Recherche Médicale, France

Cognitive Sequels of Cushing Syndrome

Cushing's disease is a state of chronic endogenous glucocorticoid excess. Cushing's disease is responsible for increased morbidity and mortality. Recent studies have pinpointed the frequency of somatic sequelas and persistent alteration in quality of life despite the cure of the disease. More specifically, a few studies have described persistent psychopathology, maladaptive personality and cognitive impairments in patients with a history of Cushing's disease. Among these, hippocampal memory deficits have been found in the majority of studies, a finding that is consistent with the alterations described in hippocampal neurons during chronic exposure to glucocorticoids. However, the tools currently available to assess hippocampal-dependent memory are multiple, sometimes difficult to perform by clinicians and to analyze or may lack of diagnostic sensitivity. The investigators have recently developed an original tool, the virtual radial task in 3D, which has shown to be reliable to detect subtle alterations in hippocampal-dependent memory in several human diseases. The primary aim of the study is the evaluation of persistent cognitive impairments (hippocampal memory) in patients cured of Cushing's disease for at least one year using the virtual radial task in 3D and to compare it with that obtained with classical cognitive tests.

Study Overview

Status

Status

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

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.
30

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 Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • France
      • Pessac, France, 33604
        • Hopital Du Haut-Leveque

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

18 years to 60 years (Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

Patients :

  • history of Cushing's Disease
  • aged : 18 - 60 years
  • Biological remission of Cushing's disease for at least one year
  • Affiliation to Social Security
  • Informed consent signed by patient and investigator (at the latest the inclusion's day, before study's exams)

For controls :

  • People aged 18 to 60 years matched to patients for age, sex and educational level
  • Affiliation to Social Security
  • Informed consent signed by patient and investigator (at the latest the inclusion's day, before study's exams)

Exclusion Criteria:

For patients :

  • Persistent hypercortisolism (even mild)
  • Current treatment of hypercortisolism with drugs
  • Obesity (BMI >30 kg/m²)
  • Alcohol or drug addiction present or past
  • Growth hormone deficit
  • Diabetes mellitus with hemoglobin A1c > 7.5% and/or fasting blood glucose > 1.4 g/L
  • History of pituitary radiotherapy
  • History of cerebrovascular or neuro-cerebral disease
  • untreated dysthyroidism
  • Current psychotropic drug treatment
  • Pregnancy
  • Use of glucocorticoids in the last 3 months before study (aside hydrocortisone replacement therapy)
  • Excessive hydrocortisone replacement therapy (unadjusted to weight and/or with evening administration)

For controls :

  • Obesity (BMI >30 kg/m²)
  • Alcohol or drug addiction present or past
  • Current psychotropic drug treatment
  • History of cerebrovascular or neuro-cerebral disease
  • Current pregnancy
  • Chronical use of corticoid (> 1 month), current or past
  • Use of glucocorticoids in the last 3 months before study (aside hydrocortisone replacement therapy)
  • Diabetes mellitus with hemoglobin A1c > 7.5% and/or fasting blood glucose > 1.4 g/L
  • Obesity (BMI >30 kg/m²)
  • untreated dysthyroidism

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: Diagnostic
  • Allocation: Non-Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment

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.
Experimental: Patients
Virtual radial task in 3D
Device: Virtual radial task in 3D
The virtual radial task is a labyrinth in 3D with twelve ways. The primary aim of our study is the evaluation of persistent cognitive impairments (hippocampal memory) according to the responses of participants after instructions to choose the right way in the labyrinth.
Experimental: Controls
Virtual radial task in 3D
Device: Virtual radial task in 3D
The virtual radial task is a labyrinth in 3D with twelve ways. The primary aim of our study is the evaluation of persistent cognitive impairments (hippocampal memory) according to the responses of participants after instructions to choose the right way in the labyrinth.

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
Measure Description
Time Frame
Percentage of right answers at virtual radial task in 3D
Time Frame: baseline
Comparison of right answers in patients cured of Cushing's disease and in controls.
baseline

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
Measure Description
Time Frame
General Quality of life
Time Frame: baseline
Comparison of quality of life of patients and controls with validated general questionnaire : SF-36 (SF for Short Form health survey)
baseline
Specific Quality of life for Cushing's Disease
Time Frame: baseline
Comparison of quality of life of patients and controls with validated specific questionnaire for Cushing's Disease : Cushing-QoL
baseline
Number of participants with anxiety
Time Frame: baseline
Evaluation of anxiety in the two groups with Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) scale (questionnaire)
baseline
Number of participants with depression with MADRS
Time Frame: baseline
Evaluation of depression in the two groups with Montgomery and Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) (questionnaire)
baseline
Number of participants with depression with HADS
Time Frame: baseline
Evaluation of depression in the two groups with Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) scale (questionnaire)
baseline
Intensity of Cushing's syndrome
Time Frame: baseline
Intensity of Cushing's disease will be evaluated with mean of free urinary cortisol. Hypothesis : intensity of hypercortisolism is correlated with sequels after cure.
baseline

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.
Institut National de la Santé Et de la Recherche Médicale, France

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: Antoine Tabarin, Pr, Hôpital Haut Lévêque - Pessac (France)

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

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 (Actual)

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.
February 4, 2016

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.
February 12, 2017

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.
August 3, 2017

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).
November 3, 2015

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.
November 10, 2015

First Posted (Estimated)

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.
November 13, 2015

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimated)

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.
December 4, 2025

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.
November 26, 2025

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.
November 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.
  • C15-02
  • IDRCB (Other Identifier: 2025-A02589-40)

Drug and device information, study documents

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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