Dietary Modulation of Neuroinflammation in Age-Related Memory Disorders

August 26, 2024 updated by: Richard P Sloan PhD, Columbia University
The purpose of this study is to test the effect of a cocoa-derived dietary flavanol on brain structures and cognitive outcomes in a 12-week randomized controlled trial of 146 healthy participants, age 50-69, who will receive this cocoa derivative or a placebo. Th investigators will also examine the role of inflammation in this relationship.

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.

Detailed Description

Within 25 years, the US population aged 65 and over will double in size to 80 million bringing, with it an epidemic of aging-related cognitive decline, from normal cognitive aging to neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer's Disease. These conditions impair quality of life and functional status, impose an enormous burden on individuals, their families, the healthcare system, and require elucidation of mechanisms and development of new treatments to prevent or at least slow their progression. The use of plant-based food and drink for health purposes has a long and well-documented history. Cocoa beans contain a substance that has multiple beneficial health effects. In this study, the investigators will test the effect of this substance on brain structures and cognitive outcomes in a 12-week randomized controlled trial of 146 healthy participants, age 50-69, who will receive this cocoa derivative or a placebo. The investigators also will examine the role of inflammation in this relationship. Such a trial has potential for significant clinical impact.

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.
259

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
      • New York, New York, United States, 10032
        • Columbia University Irving Medical Center

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

50 years to 69 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Signed and dated informed consent obtained before any trial-related activities. (Trial-related activities are any procedure that would not have been performed during normal screening or management of the subject).
  2. Healthy Male or Female subjects. (Females must be post-menopausal)
  3. Age between 50 and 69 years, both inclusive.
  4. Body mass index between 18.0 and 35 kg/m², both inclusive.

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Currently undergoing medical treatment, including prescription drugs/medication.
  2. Clinically significant abnormal hematology, biochemistry, urinalysis, or coagulation screening tests, as judged by the Investigator.
  3. History or presence of cancer (except basal cell skin cancer or squamous cell skin cancer), or any clinically significant cardiovascular, respiratory, metabolic, renal, hepatic, gastrointestinal, endocrinological (with the exception euthyroid struma), haematological, dermatological, venereal, neurological, psychiatric diseases or other major disorders as judged by the Investigator.
  4. Seated blood pressure at screening (after resting for 5 min in seated position) outside the range of 90-140 mmHg for systolic or 50-90 mmHg for diastolic (excluding white-coat hypertension; therefore, if a repeated measurement shows values within the range, the subject can be included in the trial) and/or resting supine heart rate outside the range 50-90 beats per minute. Measurement taken at consent before eligibility is determined
  5. Heart Diseases.
  6. Hepatitis B or C positive status.
  7. HIV positive status.
  8. History of multiple and/or severe allergies to drugs or foods or a history of severe anaphylactic reaction.
  9. Use of non-prescription medication, herbal products or nutritional supplements during the study, and within the last 4 weeks before the start of the study (screening), as judged by the Investigator; occasional use of aspirin, ibuprofen, acetaminophen is permitted.
  10. Adherence to a vegan or vegetarian diet or to specialty/uncommon diets.
  11. Food Allergies to tree nuts, soy, cocoa and cocoa-containing products.
  12. People who choose to avoid caffeine intake.
  13. Current or history of alcoholism or drug/chemical abuse as per Investigator's judgment.
  14. Hormone Replacement Therapy; Currently pregnant; Pregnant or Interview\ lactating within past 6 months; Hormonal birth control (pill).
  15. Smoking.
  16. Unwilling to have blood drawn or anxiety/nausea during a blood draw.
  17. Uncomfortable completing memory and attention tasks in the English language
  18. Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score less than 26.
  19. Inability to swallow study capsules Interview (at Consent)
  20. Did not complete the two weeks Run-In Period (Participants who missed more than 2 intake occasions out of 14 days (28 occasions total) or if there are > 8 capsules left in the bottle after the two weeks will be excluded).

MRI RELATED

  1. Cardiac Pacemaker
  2. Internal Pump
  3. Insulin Pump
  4. Tattoo eyeliner
  5. Wire sutures
  6. Internal Metal Objects
  7. Metal Slivers in Eye
  8. Prosthesis
  9. Hearing Aid Implants
  10. Neurostimulator
  11. Metal Fragments
  12. Brain Aneurysm Clips
  13. Vascular Clips
  14. Breast Expander
  15. Vena Cava Filter
  16. Heart Valve
  17. Metal Stents
  18. Asthmatic symptoms within the past 3 years
  19. Sickle Cell Disease

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: Basic Science
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Triple

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: 650 mg of Cocoapro flavanols
Daily, each subject will consume either two cocoa flavanol-containing capsules twice a day with a meal.
Dietary supplement: 650 mg of Cocoapro flavanols
12-week period during which participant will be asked to consume two cocoa-flavanol-containing capsules(650mg) twice a day with meals.
Placebo Comparator: 0mg Cocoapro flavanols
Daily, each subject will consume either ttwo placebo-containing capsules twice a day with a meal.
Dietary supplement: 0 mg of Cocoapro flavanols
12-week period during which participant will be asked to consume two cocoa-flavanol-containing capsules(0mg) twice a day with meals.

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
HMGB1
Time Frame: 12 weeks
circulating levels of the inflammatory marker HMGB1
12 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
NFkB
Time Frame: 12 weeks
TLR4-dependent NFkB
12 weeks
TNFa
Time Frame: 12 weeks
TLR4-dependent TNFa
12 weeks

Other Outcome Measures

Other Outcome Measures

For clinical trials, a planned measurement described in the protocol that is used to determine the effect of an intervention/treatment on participants. For observational studies, a measurement or observation that is used to describe patterns of diseases or traits, or associations with exposures, risk factors, or treatment. Types of outcome measures include primary outcome measure and secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
ModBent
Time Frame: 12 weeks
modified Benton Recognition Task
12 weeks
ModRey
Time Frame: 12 weeks
Modified Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test
12 weeks
multiple cognitive domains
Time Frame: 12 weeks
NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery, which includes adaptive computerized tests of executive function, attention, episodic memory, language, processing speed, and working memory
12 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.
Columbia University

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
National Institute on Aging (NIA)

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: Richard P. Sloan, PhD, Columbia University

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.
January 1, 2019

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.
March 5, 2023

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 26, 2023

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).
October 24, 2018

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.
October 25, 2018

First Posted (Actual)

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.
October 29, 2018

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.
August 27, 2024

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.
August 26, 2024

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.
August 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

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.
  • NYSPI 7665
  • 5R01AG058417 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

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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