Natural History of Treated Neurocysticercosis and Long-Term Outcomes

April 18, 2024 updated by: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)

The purpose of this study is to evaluate, treat and follow patients with cysticercosis, an infection with the larval form of the pork tapeworm, T. solium. When people ingest cysts of T. solium eggs, cysts develop in the muscles, brain and other organs. The cysts enlarge and cause inflammation, usually in the brain. Patients may develop seizures, headache, nausea, vomiting, inability to walk, poor vision due to enlargement of the brain, and increased pressure in the brain. Other neurological problems may develop depending on the location of the cysts. The drugs praziquantel and albendazole are used to treat cysticercosis, but it is not clear if these drugs are effective in all patients, such as those with calcified cysts or brain enlargement.

Patients with suspected or confirmed cysticercosis may be eligible for this study. Participants will be hospitalized for 2 to 3 weeks and will take either praziquantel or albendazole by mouth for 2 weeks. They may receive a corticosteroid to lessen the side effects of the drug therapy. Patients will be evaluated with medically indicated tests and procedures that may include:

  • Blood tests.
  • X-rays of the head and long bones.
  • Electroencephalogram - recording of the electrical activity of the brain
  • Lumbar puncture (spinal tap) - examination of the cerebrospinal fluid that bathes the brain and spinal cord. For this procedure, a local anesthetic is given and a needle is inserted in the space between the bones (vertebrae) in the lower back. About 2 tablespoons of fluid is collected through the needle.
  • Eye examination.
  • Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to examine the brain. MRI uses a strong magnetic field and radio waves instead of X-rays to demonstrate structural and chemical changes in the brain. During the scan, the patient lies on a table in a narrow cylinder (the scanner). He or she can speak with a staff member via an intercom system at all times during the procedure.
  • Computed tomography (CT) to examine the brain. CT can be done from different angles and allows the doctor to view the brain in small sections in 3-dimensions. The patient lies on a table with the head positioned in the CT scanner.

Some of the tests may be repeated on the last day of therapy and at 3 and 6 months or longer after therapy.

Study Overview

Status

Recruiting

Conditions

Detailed Description

The purpose of this protocol is to follow participants with cysticercosis during and after completion of treatment, to characterize the disease course during both short- and long-term follow-up, assess biomarkers associated with infection and response to treatment, improve diagnostic assays, and explore host-parasite interactions. Cysticercosis is defined as an infection with the larval form of Taenia solium and includes infection of the brain (neurocysticercosis [NCC]) that accounts for most of the symptomatic disease and serious complications. Evaluation and treatment will be provided as clinically indicated. Clinical data and biospecimens will be collected during and after treatment to assess biomarkers of infection and inflammation, immunologic response to treatment, and correlations between biomarkers and results of clinically indicated diagnostic tests. In addition, we will collect information from patient-reported outcome questionnaires completed by participants to better understand the long-term effect on functional ability and determine if there is a correlation between clinical deficits with biomarkers of inflammation.

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

500

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 Backup

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Maryland
      • Bethesda, Maryland, United States, 20892
        • Recruiting
        • National Institutes of Health Clinical 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

Ages Eligible for Study

3 years to 99 years (Child, Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sampling Method

Probability Sample

Study Population

Male and female subjects aged 3-99 years with likely or definite neurocysticercosis (NCC) diagnosis

Description

  • INCLUSION CRITERIA:

    1. Patients ages 3 to 99 years.
    2. Patients with proven or likely neurocysticercosis.
    3. Willingness (of participant or legally authorized representative [LAR]) to sign consent and comply with study requirements.

EXCLUSION CRITERIA:

Not applicable.

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

  • Observational Models: Cohort
  • Time Perspectives: Prospective

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
1
Male and female subjects aged 3-75 years with likely or definite neurocysticercosis (NCC) diagnosis

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
To characterise the radiographic, biochemical, and clinical course of neurocysticercosis during and after treatment with long term follow up, with the goal of documenting a disease free state off anthelmintics for 7 years
Time Frame: 7 years-indefinite
To study the clinical course of cysticercosis following therapy and diminish morbidity associated with treatment of cysticercosis including neurocysticercosis or the inflammation associated with therapy
7 years-indefinite

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Elise M O'Connell, M.D., National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)

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

Helpful Links

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)

October 7, 1985

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

November 3, 1999

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

November 3, 1999

First Posted (Estimated)

November 4, 1999

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

April 19, 2024

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

April 18, 2024

Last Verified

April 16, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 850127
  • 85-I-0127

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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