A Pilot Study of Intermittent Calorie Restriction in Multiple Sclerosis

November 14, 2017 updated by: Ellen M. Mowry, Johns Hopkins University
Experimental studies of the experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a mouse model of multiple sclerosis, indicate that the number of calories fed to mice prevent EAE and are also associated with less severe disease in mice who do develop the disease. Currently, whether these results translate favorably in humans is unknown. This is a pilot trial of testing two caloric restriction (CR) diets versus a control diet in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients: one continuous caloric restriction (CR) diet where a small number of calories will be restricted every day or another intermittent CR diet where a caloric intake will be restricted more severely 2 days per week. Participants are randomized to one of the diets, and for the first 8 weeks, will receive standardized, prepared meals tailored to the specific diet. At the conclusion of the controlled feeding study, all participants will transition to an unblinded phase for an additional 40 weeks where they are provided with instructions to follow an intermittent CR diet.

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.
36

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
    • Maryland
      • Baltimore, Maryland, United States, 21287
        • Johns Hopkins University

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 50 years (Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Aged 18-50
  • Capable of storing food safely, willing to follow diet/eat provided food, and able to receive shipments at home or work
  • Meets 2010 criteria for McDonald MS;
  • Relapse or new lesion in previous 2 years
  • Expanded disability status score (EDSS) < 6
  • Disease duration ≤15 years
  • Untreated or on stable on first-line MS therapy [injectable] for at least 6 months, with no anticipated changes in the next 10 weeks
  • Unchanged vitamin D dose or thyroid replacement dose (for those on it) with no anticipated changes or in supplement use for the next 10 weeks.
  • Non-regular smoker (average no more than 1 cigarette/day) for at least 2 months
  • Stable weight, by self report, for past 3 months (± 8 lbs)
  • Body mass index (BMI) > 23 kg/m2

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Pregnant or nursing, or unwilling to prevent pregnancy (if of childbearing to potential)

    • History of gastrointestinal disease causing malabsorption
    • History of diabetes requiring medication
    • History of stage IV/V chronic kidney disease or vascular disease
    • History of major surgery in past 3 months
    • Current use of warfarin
    • History of eating disorder
    • Currently on a special diet for MS/other diet (provided diet will be pork free)
    • Chemotherapy within the past year

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: Single

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: Continuous calorie restriction
Participants will be provided with a diet that includes approximately 78% of calories each day that would be needed to maintain current BMI.
Other: Diet
Diet, standardized to the 50th percentile for macronutrients, will be provided at varied calorie levels as described.
Experimental: Intermittent calorie restriction
Participants will be provided a diet that with a daily calorie intake required to maintain current BMI, except only 25% of this calorie intake will be provided for 2 days a week.
Other: Diet
Diet, standardized to the 50th percentile for macronutrients, will be provided at varied calorie levels as described.
Placebo Comparator: Control calorie intake
Participants will be assigned to consume enough calories each day required to maintain current BMI
Other: Diet
Diet, standardized to the 50th percentile for macronutrients, will be provided at varied calorie levels as described.

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
Adverse events
Time Frame: 8 weeks
Adverse events will be categorized by organ system and by the blinded neurologist's assessment of the relation to the diet.
8 weeks

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
Adherence to Calories Assigned
Time Frame: 8 weeks
Adherence will be assessed by comparing the total caloric intake provided to the patients through the assigned diet to the total energy intake determined by the research dieticians.
8 weeks
Adherence to Calories Assigned
Time Frame: 48 weeks
Adherence during the "advice-only" phase will be compared to adherence in each diet group during the first 8 weeks using paired t-tests, where the grouping is done naturally by subject.
48 weeks
Adverse Events
Time Frame: 48 weeks
Adverse events will be categorized by organ system and by the blinded neurologist's assessment of the relation to the diet.
48 weeks
Quality of Life Questionnaire
Time Frame: 48 weeks
"Functional Assessment in MS" results will be assessed during the study
48 weeks
NIH Patient-Reported-Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS )Fatigue Questionnaire
Time Frame: 48 weeks
PROMIS Fatigue results will be assessed during the study
48 weeks
Change in metabolite ratios
Time Frame: 8 weeks
The impact of each calorie restriction diet versus control diet on the metabolomics profile will be assessed.
8 weeks
Immune cell subsets/cytokines
Time Frame: 8 weeks
The impact of each calorie restriction diet versus control diet on ratios of immune cell subsets (e.g. T-helper (TH)17, TH1, TH2, T regulatory) and related cytokines will be assessed.
8 weeks
Change in concentration of measures of metabolism
Time Frame: 8 weeks
The impact of each calorie restriction diet versus control diet on fasting glucose, insulin, leptin, ghrelin, C-reactive protein, lipids, and long-chain ceramides will be assessed.
8 weeks
Change in serum lipid concentration
Time Frame: 8 weeks
The impact of each calorie restriction diet versus control diet on fasting lipids and long-chain ceramides will be assessed.
8 weeks
Change in serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor concentration (BDNF)
Time Frame: 8 weeks
The impact of each calorie restriction diet versus control diet on fasting BDNF will be assessed.
8 weeks
Change in levels of oxidative stress biomarkers
Time Frame: 8 weeks
The impact of each calorie restriction diet versus control diet on protein carbonyls, 8-isoprostane, nitrotyrosine, and 4-hydroxynonenal adducts will be assessed.
8 weeks

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.
Johns Hopkins University

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: Ellen Mowry, MD, Johns Hopkins University

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, 2015

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, 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.
June 1, 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).
December 28, 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.
January 4, 2016

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.
January 6, 2016

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

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.
November 17, 2017

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 14, 2017

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, 2017

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.
  • IRB00065806

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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