Effects of THC-Free CBD Oil on Agitation in Patients With Alzheimer's Disease

February 15, 2023 updated by: Hamid Okhravi, M.D., Eastern Virginia Medical School
This is a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, crossover trial that aims to 1) determine the efficacy of THC-free cannabidiol (CBD oil) in reducing the severity of agitation among participants and 2) determine whether THC-free CBD oil can reduce the burden on caregivers and increase the participants' quality of life.

Study Overview

Status

Recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Individuals with Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia often go through a period of significant behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD). It is estimated that up to 90% of persons with dementia (PWD) experience behavior problems at some point. BPSDs can be challenging for both unpaid family caregivers as well as paid caregivers. Family caregivers provide the bulk of care for PWD and number over 15 million. One of the most common types of BPSDs is agitation with a prevalence of up to 87%, based on a recent systematic review. Agitation can lead to impaired daily functioning, prolongation of hospitalization, reduced time to institutionalization, and is associated with higher mortality. Additionally, agitated behavior is associated with increased injury to both patients and caregivers. Based on the 2018 Alzheimer's disease drug development pipeline report almost 70% of clinical trials related to BPSD are dedicated to agitation behavior. Finding ways to address agitation is necessary to improve overall quality of life for PWD and their caregivers. Currently, there are no medications available specifically for the treatment of BPSDs. The use of benzodiazepines, antipsychotics and mood stabilizing agents are common, but the risks and side effects often outweigh any benefits.

Several small studies have investigated the use of cannabinoids in the treatment of pathology and symptomology of Alzheimer's disease (AD), as well as treatment of the agitation component of BPSD. A handful of these studies showed that the symptoms of BPSD were decreased with the use of cannabinoids. However, due to small sample sizes, study design, and short trial duration of these studies, the efficacy of these agents on BPSD cannot be confirmed. In addition, cannabinoids have demonstrated anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, and both processes have been indicated as major contributors to the neurologic effects of AD. Some evidence exists that agitation is related to this neuroinflammatory process. This study will examine the effects of cannabinoids on the behavioral and psychological symptoms of individuals with a dementia diagnosis.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Anticipated)

40

Phase

  • Phase 2

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Virginia
      • Norfolk, Virginia, United States, 23510
        • Recruiting
        • Eastern Virginia Medical School
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Hamid Okhravi, MD

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

50 years to 90 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Males/females over 50 years old.
  • Have a diagnosis of dementia due to AD or mixed AD with another type of dementia.
  • A Mini-Mental State Exam score (MMSE) between 4 and 28 inclusive.
  • Presence of agitation with a Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI)-agitation/aggression subscore > 3.
  • Participants and their informal caregivers must be fluent in English (includes reading, writing, and speech) and able to give informed consent.
  • For patients treated with cognitive-enhancing medications (cholinesterase inhibitors (ChEI) and/or memantine), the dosage must be stable for at least 1 month (30 days). If the ChEI and/or memantine has been discontinued, patients may enroll after 15 days.
  • Eligible caregivers must either live with the participant or have a minimum of 4 hours of daily contact with them.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Diagnosis of non-AD or non-mixed dementias.
  • Very mild dementia or advanced dementia (MMSE: greater than 28 or less than 4).
  • NPI-agitation-aggression score < 3.
  • Having a serious or unstable medical illness including cardiovascular, hepatic, renal, respiratory, endocrine, neurologic or hematologic disease which might confound assessment of safety outcomes as determined by the study physician.
  • Presence or history of other serious psychiatric disorders or neurological conditions (e.g. psychotic disorders, bipolar disorder or schizophrenia).
  • Current abuse of/dependence on marijuana, current drug abuse, current alcohol abuse.
  • Having seizure disorders.
  • Pregnant or breastfeeding
  • Indication of baseline delirium as determined by the Confusion Assessment Method (CAM).
  • Current use of lithium.
  • Inability to swallow CBD oil softgels.
  • Changes in dosage of anti-depressives within 4 weeks before randomization and during the study.
  • Changes in dosage of antipsychotics or benzodiazepines within 1 week prior to randomization and during the study.
  • Contraindications to CBD oil (history of hypersensitivity to any cannabinoid).
  • Frequent falling due to orthostatic hypotension.
  • Use of tricyclic antidepressants (TCA), fluoxetine, and/or carbamazepine. -Patients who reside in nursing homes.

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: Hemp-based CBD oil Gelcaps
The intervention consists of 6 weeks oral administration of CBD oil Gelcaps, starting at a dosage of 15 mg twice per day with up titration to 45 mg twice per day. At any given dose, if participants develop side effects, the dosage will be reduced to the previous dose.
Drug: THC-free CBD Oil
Hemp-based CBD oil Gelcaps
Placebo Comparator: Oral placebo Gelcaps
Participants in the control group will receive oral placebo Gelcaps that are identical in appearance to the CBD oil Gelcaps. Dosing will be identical to the intervention arm.
Drug: Placebo
Placebo Gelcaps

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in agitation and aggression.
Time Frame: Every two weeks for 15 weeks during study enrollment.
Change in agitation and aggression will be measured by the Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory (CMAI), a validated 29-item questionnaire to assess agitation. Each item is rated on a 7-point scale ranging from 1 "Never" to 7 "Several times per hour". Higher scores indicate greater agitation.
Every two weeks for 15 weeks during study enrollment.
Change in caregiver burden.
Time Frame: Three times during the 15 weeks of study enrollment.
Change in caregiver burden will be measured by the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI), a validated 22-item questionnaire to assess caregiver burden. Each item is rated on a 5-point Likert scale that ranges from 0 "Never" to 4 "Nearly always," with the sum of scores ranging between 0-88. Higher scores indicate greater burden.
Three times during the 15 weeks of study enrollment.
Change in the participant's quality of life.
Time Frame: Three times during the 15 weeks of study enrollment.
Change in the participant's quality of life will be measured by the Quality-of-life assessment in dementia (DEMQOL-proxy), a validated 32-item questionnaire to assess the health related quality of life of people with dementia. Each item is rated on a 4-point scale ranging from 1 "A lot" to 4 "Not at all". Higher scores indicate a healthier quality of life.
Three times during the 15 weeks of study enrollment.
Change in caregiver's quality of life.
Time Frame: Three times during the 15 weeks of study enrollment.
Change in the caregiver's quality of life will be measured by the Measurement of quality of life in family carers of people with dementia (C-DEMQOL), a validated 30-item questionnaire to assess the quality of life for carers of someone with dementia. Each item is rated on a 5-point scale ranging from 1 "Completely" to 5 "Not at all." Higher scores indicate a healthier quality of life.
Three times during the 15 weeks of study enrollment.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Assessment of change in neuropsychiatric symptoms.
Time Frame: Three times during the 15 weeks of study enrollment.
Assessment of change in neuropsychiatric symptoms for the participant will be measured by the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI), a validated questionnaire that assesses dementia-related behavioral symptoms. The NPI examines 12 sub-domains of behavioral functioning. Each sub-domain is rated on the frequency of the symptoms using a 4-point scale with 1 "Occasionally" and 4 "Very frequently", the severity of the symptoms using a 3-point scale with 1 "Mild" and 3 "Marked", and the distress the symptom causes them on a 5-point scale with 1 "Not at all" and 5 "Very severely or extremely".
Three times during the 15 weeks of study enrollment.
Assessment of change in cognitive skills.
Time Frame: Three times during the 15 weeks of study enrollment.
Assessment of change in cognitive skills for the participant will be measured by the Mini Mental State Exam (MMSE), a validated 30-item questionnaire used to measure cognitive impairment among the elderly. A 30-item, clinician-administered assessment of orientation, attention, calculation, learning and memory, language, and visuospatial skills. Each correct response is summed to produce a total score out of 30 possible points.
Three times during the 15 weeks of study enrollment.
The effect of CBD oil on sleep quantity measured by Fitbit
Time Frame: Measured on a daily basis during the 15 weeks of study enrollment.
The effect of CBD oil on sleep quality will be measured for the participant and caregiver using the actigraphy function of fit bit. These measures include the amount of total sleep, amount of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and the amount of deep and light sleep.
Measured on a daily basis during the 15 weeks of study enrollment.

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Eastern Virginia Medical School

Collaborators

Old Dominion University
Ananda Hemp, Inc.

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Hamid Okhravi, MD, Eastern Virginia Medical School

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 (Actual)

February 26, 2021

Primary Completion (Anticipated)

March 1, 2024

Study Completion (Anticipated)

March 1, 2024

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

June 12, 2020

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 16, 2020

First Posted (Actual)

June 17, 2020

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

February 16, 2023

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

February 15, 2023

Last Verified

February 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • RI-03368

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

Yes

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

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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