Safety and Efficacy Study of Magnetic Fields to Treat Alzheimer's Disease

A Randomized, Single-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Pilot Study to Evaluate the Safety and Efficacy of the Application of Magnetic Fields Using the Resonator for the Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease in Addition to Standard of Care

The purpose of this study is to determine if low level magnetic fields can help to improve memory in patients diagnosed with Alzheimer's dementia.

Study Overview

• Status: Unknown
• Conditions: Alzheimer's Dementia
• Intervention / Treatment: Device: Resonator

Detailed Description

The purpose of this pilot study is to determine whether application of magnetic fields generated by the Resonator result in statistically significant improvements in cognitive functioning and memory in patients with a diagnosis of Alzheimer's dementia.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Anticipated): 30
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Florida
    • Tampa, Florida, United States, 33613
      • Recruiting
      • USF Health Byrd Alzheimer's Institute
      • Contact: Amanda Smith, MD; Phone Number: 813-974-4355

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 55 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Current diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease appropriately documented by the patients physician and/or neurologist
• Documentation verifying that other generally recognized causes of dementia have been ruled out by prior physician evaluations
• Mild to Moderate Dementia, as evidenced by a score of not less than 12 nor greater than 26 on the Mini Mental Status Exam (MMSE).
• Subject is ambulatory.
• A Study Partner who can attend all study visits with the subject. Study Partner being defined as an adult who has at least 10 hours/week of contact with the subject, and can accompany the subject to all testing and treatment study visits.
• Stable "anti-dementia" medication regimen without significant side effects for at least 3 months, and on stable medication (unrelated to anti-dementia) without significant side effects for at least 1 month; willingness and ability to maintain the stable medication regimen throughout the course of the study.
• Willingness and ability to present to the testing center for all study evaluations
• Willingness and ability to present to the treatment center for all study treatments (exposure to the Resonator™)
• Willingness to maintain stable diet and activity regimen for the duration of the study.
• Willing and able to abstain from partaking in any non-essential (not physician ordered) existing or new treatments to improve cognition and mental functioning
• Willing and able to abstain from any medications that could affect cognition and mental functioning during the course of the study
• Male or female.
• Any ethnic background.
• Age 55 and older.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Change in anti-dementia medical regimen within 3 months prior to initiation of study.
• Confirmed diagnosis other non-Alzheimer's type of dementia
• Significant neurologic or psychiatric illness other than Alzheimer's disease
• Unstable cardiac disease, such as any history of cardiac arrhythmias (including atrial fibrillation, ventricular fibrillation, or irregular atrial-ventricular conduction time), or any incidences of congestive heart failure, or myocardial infarction, within the last six months.
• Previous surgical interventions involving prosthetics or implants comprised of ferrous metals, or pacemakers, vagus nerve stimulators, or other functional electrical stimulators such as those commonly used for pain.
• Reported consumption of more than 14 alcoholic drinks per week.
• Uncontrolled hypertension.
• Uncontrolled atrial fibrillation or other uncontrolled arrhythmias, e.g. tachycardia, bradycardia.
• Uncontrolled seizure disorder.
• History of seizures or usage of anti-seizure medications that, in the opinion of the investigator, participation in this trial would represent a risk to the subject.
• Uncontrolled, unstable, or untreated medical conditions which may significantly impact the subject's health or ability to complete the entire study, in the opinion of the investigator.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Placebo Comparator: Placebo treatment	Device: Resonator; Treatment group vs. Placebo group
Active Comparator: Resonator; Treatment with active Resonator device using low level magnetic fields	Device: Resonator; Treatment group vs. Placebo group

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cog (ADAS-cog)	end of treatment at 12 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: pico-tesla Magnetic Therapies, LLC
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Amanda Smith, MD, University South Florida Health Byrd Alzheimer's Institute

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: December 1, 2010
• Primary Completion (Anticipated): October 1, 2011
• Study Completion (Anticipated): October 1, 2011

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: September 1, 2010
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 2, 2010
• First Posted (Estimate): September 6, 2010

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): July 8, 2011
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 7, 2011
• Last Verified: June 1, 2011

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: dementia; cognitive decline; memory loss
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Brain Diseases; Central Nervous System Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Neurocognitive Disorders; Neurodegenerative Diseases; Tauopathies; Dementia; Alzheimer Disease
• Other Study ID Numbers: USF #6178-P67865