Metformin in Children With Motor Deficit

August 25, 2026 updated by: Universitaire Ziekenhuizen KU Leuven
Obesity with insulin resistance in the paediatric population provides an increasing challenge. Children with neurological or neuromuscular diseases are even more prone to obesity: their locomotor impairment leads to an increasingly sedentary lifestyle, a decrease in physical fitness and an increase in body fat (1-3). Obesity, in turn, can be associated with a decrease in physical fitness and a further increase in body fat. In this study we want to evaluate the effect of an insulin-sensitizer, metformin, in a group of overweight/obese patients with neurological or neuromuscular diseases. Metformin is a well-established insulin sensitizer.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Obesity with insulin resistance in the paediatric population provides an increasing challenge. Children with neurological or neuromuscular diseases are even more prone to obesity: their locomotor impairment leads to an increasingly sedentary lifestyle, a decrease in physical fitness and an increase in body fat (1-3). Obesity, in turn, can be associated with a decrease in physical fitness and a further increase in body fat. In this study we want to evaluate the effect of an insulin-sensitizer, metformin, in a group of overweight/obese patients with neurological or neuromuscular diseases. Metformin is a well-established insulin sensitizer.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

42

Phase

  • 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

  • Belgium
    • Brabant
      • Leuven, Brabant, Belgium, 3000
        • UZLeuven

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

8 years to 35 years (Child, Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Patients with neurogenic or myogenic motor deficit, clinically obese or who had excessively gained weight over the last year.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Exclusion criteria were known type 1 or type 2 diabetes mellitus and contraindications to metformin therapy.

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: Crossover Assignment
  • Masking: Quadruple

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: A: Metformin during 12 months and then 6 months Placebo
Metformin during 12 months and then 6 months Placebo
Drug: Placebo
placebo
Drug: Metformin
daily 850 mg
Placebo Comparator: B: Placebo during 6 months, afterwards 12 months metformin
Placebo during 6 months, afterwards 12 months metformin
Drug: Placebo
placebo
Drug: Metformin
daily 850 mg

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
insulin resistance
Time Frame: 12 months
changes in insulin, fasting glucose and insulin resistance after 6 months Metformine versus 6 months placebo
12 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
fat
Time Frame: 12 months
changes in cholesterol and triglycerides after 6 months Metformine versus 6 months placebo
12 months

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Universitaire Ziekenhuizen KU Leuven

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: kristina m casteels, MD, Universitaire Ziekenhuizen KU Leuven

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

November 1, 2006

Primary Completion (Actual)

July 1, 2011

Study Completion (Actual)

July 1, 2011

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

July 18, 2008

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

July 21, 2008

First Posted (Estimated)

July 22, 2008

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

August 28, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

August 25, 2026

Last Verified

September 1, 2011

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • ML3830

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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