Add-on Low Dose Dextromethorphan and Memantine in Patients With Amphetamine-type Stimulants Use Disorder

The Potential Therapeutic Effects of add-on Low Dose Dextromethorphan and Memantine in Patients With Amphetamine-type Stimulants Use Disorder

The current study will investigate whether add-on dextromethorphan (DM) and memantine (MM) is able to improve the treatment outcomes for ATSUD, and be associated with improvement in inflammatory markers, neurotrophic factors and neuropsychological tests.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Stimulants Use Disorder
• Intervention / Treatment: Drug: dextromethorphan and memantine (DM+MM); Drug: Placebos

Detailed Description

In current study, we will conduct a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study. We will recruit 100-120 patients with ATSUD in three years and allocate them to add-on low dose dextromethorphan and memantine (DM 30mg/day+MM 5mg/day) or placebo group in a 1: 1 ratio (patients will also undergo usual psychosocial interventions). We will follow up the participants for 12 weeks and measure the treatment responses, urine drug tests, craving scales and side effects to evaluate the therapeutic effects of add-on DM+MM. Neuropsychological assessments and tests for inflammatory parameters and neurotrophic factors will also be measured during 12-weeks follow up. The study results will show that whether add-on DM+MM is able to improve the treatment outcomes for ATSUD, and be associated with improvement in inflammatory markers, neurotrophic factors and neuropsychological tests.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 85
• Phase: Phase 2; Phase 1

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Taiwan
  • Tainan, Taiwan
    • National Cheng Kung University Hospital

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 63 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

Patients must meet all of these inclusion criteria to be eligible for enrollment into the study:

1. Signed informed consent by patient or legal representative.
2. Male or female patient aged ≧20 and ≦65 years.
3. A diagnosis of ATSUD according to DSM criteria made by a specialist in psychiatry.
4. Patient or a reliable caregiver can be expected to ensure acceptable compliance and visit attendance for the duration of the study.

Exclusion Criteria:

The presence of any of the following will exclude a patient from study enrollment:

1. Women of childbearing potential, not using adequate contraception as per investigator judgment or not willing to comply with contraception for the duration of the study.
2. Females who are pregnant or lactation.
3. Other major Axis-I DSM-IV diagnosis other than ATSUD, except for tobacco use disorder, ATS induced mood or psychotic disorders.
4. Current evidence of an uncontrolled and/or clinically significant medical condition, e.g., cardiac, hepatic and renal failure that would compromise patient safety or preclude study participation.
5. History of allergy or intolerable side effects of DM or MM.
6. Suicidal attempts or risks during screen or study period.
7. Presence of active infectious or autoimmune disease.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: dextromethorphan and memantine (DM+MM); The patients with Amphetamine-type stimulants use disorder will be recruited and received treatment of add-on dextromethorphan 30mg/day and memantine 5mg/day combination (DM+MM) for 12 weeks.	Drug: dextromethorphan and memantine (DM+MM); Patients of Amphetamine-type stimulants use disorder (ATSUD) will take dextromethorphan 30 mg/day and memantine 5 mg/day combination (DM+MM) daily for 12 weeks.
Placebo Comparator: Placebos; The patients with Amphetamine-type stimulants use disorder will be recruited and received treatment of add-on placebos for 12 weeks.	Drug: Placebos; Patients of Amphetamine-type stimulants use disorder (ATSUD) will take placebos daily for 12 weeks.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Urinary amphetamine tests	The urinary amphetamine tests will be examined during the 12 weeks of treatment period in patients with ATSUD and the results will be compared between the experimental and placebo groups.	12 weeks
Craving severity	The Visual analog scale (VAS) will be measured during the 12 weeks of treatment period in patients with ATSUD. The results will be compared between the experimental and placebo groups. The level of conscious craving was rated from 0 (none) to 100 (very much). Higher scores indicate more severe craving.	12 weeks
Side effects checklists	The investigators will use the self-reported questionnaire, side effects checklists, to evaluate the side effects during the 12 weeks of treatment period in patients with ATSUD. The side effects assessment includes, A) Mental Status/6-item, B) Genito-Urinary/4-item, C) Cardiovascular/4-item, D) Head-Neck/10-item, E) Extremities/9-item, F) Skin/4-item, and G) Gastrointestinal Tract/2-item. The severity of side effects were divided into 4 degrees as follows: 0 = Not present; 1 = Mild or occasional; 2 = Moderate or occurs several times a day; and 3 = Severe or persistent. Scores in each subscale will be summated to get the final total scores. Higher scores indicate more severe side effects. The results of side effects checklists will be compared between the experimental and placebo group.	12 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST)	The Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) will be measured in patients with ATSUD at the initial screen period and at the endpoint (after 12 weeks of treatment). We will compare the changes from screen period to the endpoint between experimental and placebo group. Performance on the WCST was scored in terms of the total number of errors (TNE, range form 0-128), perseverative errors (PE, range from 0-118), conceptual level responses (CLRs, range from 0-100%), number of categories completed (NCC, range form 0-12), and trials to complete the first category (TCC, range from 0-128). Higher scores indicate worse performance in TNE, PE, and TCC. Higher scores indicate better performance in CLRs and NCC.	12 weeks
Continuous performance tests (CPT)	The Continuous performance tests (CPT) will be measured in patients with ATSUD at the initial screen period and at the endpoint (after 12 weeks of treatment). We will compare the changes from screen period to the endpoint between experimental and placebo group. The CPT produces a standard set of performance measures that include the number of errors of omission and errors of commission. (1) Errors of omission occur when the participant fails to respond to the target stimulus. The omission errors t-scores are ranged from 20-80 (0-100%). Higher scores indicated worse performance. (2) Errors of commission occur when the participant responds to a non-target (X) stimulus. The commission errors t-scores are ranged from 20-80 (0-100%). Higher scores indicated worse performance.	12 weeks
Wechsler Memory Scale - third edition (WMS-III)	The Wechsler Memory Scale - third edition (WMS-III) will be measured in patients with ATSUD at the initial screen period and at the endpoint (after 12 weeks of treatment). We will compare the changes from screen period to the endpoint between experimental and placebo group. WMS-III composite scores were calculated for the eight standardized primary indices: Auditory Immediate (AIM, range from 50-156), Visual Immediate (VIM, range from 47-162 ), Immediate Memory (IM, range from 40-164 ), Auditory Delayed (ADM, range from 46-162), Visual Delayed (VDM, range from 43-156), Auditory Recognition Delayed (ARDM, range from 55-145), General Memory (GM, range from 40-168), and Working Memory (WM, range from 45-156 ). Higher scores indicate better performance.	12 weeks
Cytokines and neurotrophic factors	The plasma levels of cytokines and neurotrophic factors, tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α[pg/mL]), transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1 [pg/mL]), interleukin 6( IL-6[pg/mL]), interleukin 8(IL-8[pg/mL]), interleukin 1β (IL-1β[pg/mL]), and brain-derived neurotrophic factor(BDNF[pg/mL]), will be measured in patients with ATSUD at the initial screen period, day 1(baseline), week 4, 8, and 12(endpoint). We will compare the changes from screen period to the endpoint between the experimental and placebo group.	12 weeks
C-reactive protein	The plasma levels of C-reactive protein (CRP[μg/mL]) will be measured in patients with ATSUD at the initial screen period, day 1(baseline), week 4, 8, and 12(endpoint). We will compare the changes from screen period to the endpoint between the experimental and placebo group.	12 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Tzu-Yun Wang
• Collaborators: Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Tzu-Yun Wang, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): July 24, 2018
• Primary Completion (Actual): August 31, 2020
• Study Completion (Actual): August 31, 2020

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: July 15, 2018
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: October 31, 2018
• First Posted (Actual): November 2, 2018

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): December 10, 2020
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 8, 2020
• Last Verified: December 1, 2020

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: neurodegeneration; inflammation; dextromethorphan; memantine; amphetamine-type stimulants use disorder
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pathologic Processes; Disease; Physiological Effects of Drugs; Neurotransmitter Agents; Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action; Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; Excitatory Amino Acid Agents; Dopamine Agents; Respiratory System Agents; Antitussive Agents; Antiparkinson Agents; Anti-Dyskinesia Agents; Dextromethorphan; Memantine
• Other Study ID Numbers: B-BR-106-094

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No