Randomized Study of Fetal Neurotransplantation for the Treatment of Parkinson's Disease

OBJECTIVES:

I. Assess the safety and efficacy of embryonic mesencephalic dopamine cell implants into the putamen of patients with Parkinson's disease.

Study Overview

Status

Unknown

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

PROTOCOL OUTLINE: This is a randomized, double blind, placebo controlled study. Patients are stratified by age (over and under 60). Patients are randomized to receive either sham surgery or tissue implantation.

Embryonic tissue is prepared. While patients are awake, but sedated, bilateral incisions are made in the skin and burr holes drilled in the skull. A cannula is inserted into the brain to the posterior putamen. Implant patients receive embryonic neural tissue or sham patients have no needles penetrate the brain. After 1 year, patients who receive the sham operation in the first operation may receive embryonic neural tissue in a second operation.

Patients are followed every 4 months during the first year and every 6 months thereafter.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment

40

Phase

  • Not Applicable

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

40 years to 75 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

PROTOCOL ENTRY CRITERIA:

--Disease Characteristics--

  • Idiopathic Parkinson's disease for at least 7 years with rest tremor or bradykinesia and one of the following cardinal signs: Rigidity Flexed posture Loss of postural reflexes Freezing (motor blocks)
  • Continuing response to levodopa
  • Presence of at least one of the following intractable symptoms or signs: Intractable disabling fluctuations Intractable disabling dyskinesias Intractable "on" freezing (i.e., motor blocks that interfere with walking despite being "on"
  • Bilateral parkinsonism when "off" (may be asymmetry between right and left sides)
  • Decreased dopa uptake in the striatum

--Prior/Concurrent Therapy--

  • No prior brain surgery

--Patient Characteristics--

  • Cardiovascular: No severe cardiopulmonary disease
  • Neurologic: No history of strokes No neuroleptics No encephalitis No oculogyric crisis No remission No cerebellar signs No dementia (Mini-Mental state score no greater than 22) No supranuclear gaze palsy No Babinski sign No orthostatic hypotension No hydrocephalus No brain tumor No occlusive cerebrovascular disease
  • Pulmonary: Absolute standing pressure at least 90/60 mmHg
  • Other: No diabetes mellitus No exposure to toxins No other severe medical disease Hamilton Depression Scale score of less than 20 points

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
  • Masking: Double

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Investigators

  • Study Chair: Curt R. Freed, University of Colorado, Denver

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

July 1, 1998

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

February 24, 2000

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

February 24, 2000

First Posted (Estimate)

February 25, 2000

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

June 24, 2005

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 23, 2005

Last Verified

January 1, 1999

More Information

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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