An Exploratory Trial of Ketamine for the Treatment of Rett Syndrome

Ketamine for the Treatment of Rett Syndrome: An Exploratory Trial

Rett Syndrome (RTT) is a complex disorder resulting from mutations in a gene encoding the MeCP2 protein. Currently, there are no methods to fix the abnormal gene, however, animal studies suggest that the symptoms of RTT can be treated.

Ketamine is a sedative or anesthetic, depending on the dose. The drug is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and is commonly used in children and adults. Animal studies and case reports in humans suggest that ketamine may reduce the symptoms of Rett syndrome. The purpose of this study is to determine the safety and efficacy of ketamine for treating breathing and behavioral symptoms of RTT.

Study Overview

• Status: Terminated
• Conditions: Rett Syndrome
• Intervention / Treatment: Procedure: Intravenous infusion; Procedure: Intravenous infusion

Detailed Description

Families will be asked to maintain current prescription medications during the expected three-month duration of the study. However, clinically indicated medication alterations will naturally be permitted and recorded.

Each participant will experience four study days, separated by about a month. On three of the study days participants will be given Ketamine, and on the other day they will be given saline placebo.

Studies will be conducted in the Cleveland Clinic's General Clinical Research Unit which is an NIH-sponsored unit designed for studies such as this. Subjects will be admitted on the first day of each study sequence, and discharged the subsequent day. Study subjects will arrive at approximately 8:00 AM. Age, weight and height will be determined and prescription medications will be recorded. Subjects will be fitted with sensors for recording respiration, heart rate and brain electrical activity (electroencephalogram, or EEG). Treatment administration will start at noon. To avoid potential effects of circadian variation, treatment administration will start at the same time for each study day in each subject. Because the half-life of Ketamine is short (t1/2 = 10-15 minutes for sedation/anesthesia), we expect participating patients to be fully recovered from any potential sedating effects of Ketamine within an hour or two.

Each subject will be randomized to receive 3 of the 5 doses of Ketamine 0.1, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0 or 4.5 mg/kg] plus placebo, for a total of 4 periods (visits). Ordering of the treatments will be randomized, with patients earlier in the study to receive lower doses of Ketamine.

The study drug will be given as a constant infusion at 0.1, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0 or 4.5 mg/kg over the course of 40 minutes.

Apnea/breath-hold index, hyperventilation and cardio-respiratory coupling indices will be measured by polysomnography (PSG) before, during and after each treatment.

EEG will be recorded before, during and after each treatment.

Auditory evoked potentials (AEP) will be recorded on the day after each treatment.

Rett Syndrome Behavior Questionnaire (RSBQ) will be administered multiple times after each treatment, first in the hospital and then at home.

Repetitive Behavior Scale-Revised (RBSR) will be administered on the day after each treatment.

Before infusion and one hour after infusion, a few mL of peripheral blood will be sampled to measure bio-markers. Blood will be centrifuged and plasma will be frozen for subsequent analysis.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 4
• Phase: Phase 1

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Ohio
    • Cleveland, Ohio, United States, 44195
      • Cleveland Clinic

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 5 years to 25 years (Child, Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: Female

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Rett syndrome diagnosis based on the 2010 RTT diagnostic criteria, as determined by review of clinical records, and
2. Pathogenic mutation in the MECP2 gene, and
3. Breathing score of 3 or greater on RSBQ, and
4. Age 5-25 years.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Ongoing clinical regression as determined by review of clinical records and consultation with parents, or
2. Seizure within one week of study session, or
3. Unstable systemic illness other than Rett syndrome, or
4. Clinically important variations in medication use.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
• Masking: Quadruple

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Ketamine; Subjects will receive intravenous infusion of a 0.1, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0 or 4.5 mg/kg dose over the course of 40 minutes	Procedure: Intravenous infusion; Intravenous infusion of Ketamine; Procedure: Intravenous infusion; Intravenous infusion of Normal Saline
Placebo Comparator: Placebo; Subjects will receive an intravenous infusion of normal saline over the course of 40 minutes	Procedure: Intravenous infusion; Intravenous infusion of Ketamine; Procedure: Intravenous infusion; Intravenous infusion of Normal Saline

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Behavioral phenomena requiring intervention	Occurrence of agitation, irritability, or worsening of pre-existing symptoms.	From time of admission until time of discharge during any particular study visit, typically within 36 hours of admission.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Exploratory - Rett Syndrome Behavior Questionnaire (RSBQ)	A formal score obtained by administering the RSBQ to the subject's parent/guardian before and after every study visit.	On the day following study drug infusion at each visit (30 - 36 hours after admission for each visit).

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: The Cleveland Clinic
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Daniel Sessler, MD, The Cleveland Clinic

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: November 1, 2015
• Primary Completion (Actual): July 1, 2017
• Study Completion (Actual): July 1, 2017

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: September 28, 2015
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 28, 2015
• First Posted (Estimate): September 29, 2015

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): August 30, 2017
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 28, 2017
• Last Verified: August 1, 2017

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pathologic Processes; Nervous System Diseases; Neurologic Manifestations; Neurobehavioral Manifestations; Disease; Genetic Diseases, Inborn; Genetic Diseases, X-Linked; Mental Retardation, X-Linked; Intellectual Disability; Heredodegenerative Disorders, Nervous System; Syndrome; Rett Syndrome
• Other Study ID Numbers: 15-627