CClinicalTrials.gg
WithdrawnNCT00062972Updated Apr 25, 2017

Improving Memory in Patients With Multiple Sclerosis

A Phase 3 interventional study of donepezil and glucose in Multiple Sclerosis, sponsored by Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). Withdrawn at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 56 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2017-04-25.

Sponsored by Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) · Phase 3, Interventional, and Treatment

Why this study was withdrawn
Study terminated/withdrawn
Phase
Phase 3
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
0
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years to 56 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) suffer from cognitive and other brain problems. This study will examine the effectiveness of the drug donepezil and of sugar water for enhancing memory in individuals with MS. Donepezil (also known as Aricept) has been FDA approved for improving memory and learning in individuals with Alzheimer's disease.

Read the detailed description

Cognitive dysfunction is one of the leading causes of disability in people with MS. Memory involving specific words (verbal memory) is particularly affected in individuals with MS. Attempts to rehabilitate cognitive dysfunction in MS have had only limited success.

This study will determine the efficacy of donepezil therapy and glucose administration for enhancing verbal memory functioning in individuals with MS. The study will also measure secondary outcomes assessing other areas of cognitive dysfunction (i.e., nonverbal memory, conceptual thinking, processing speed) which may improve with intervention.

Forty participants with MS will be randomly assigned to receive either donepezil or placebo for 24 weeks. Participants will complete memory and cognitive tests at the beginning and end of the 24 week period.

Twenty participants with MS will be randomly assigned to drink a beverage sweetened with either glucose or saccharin (placebo). Participants will then complete memory and other cognitive tests. Two weeks later, participants will drink a beverage sweetened with the alternative sweetener and again complete the memory and cognitive tests.

02

Conditions studied

  • Multiple Sclerosis

Keywords

  • Multiple Sclerosis
  • Cognitive Dysfunction
  • Treatment Interventions
  • Verbal memory deficits
03

In context

Multiple Sclerosis

3,460 studies on the registry are indexed under Multiple Sclerosis; 661 are open to participants now.

Browse Multiple Sclerosis studies →

Lead sponsor

Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) is the lead sponsor of 416 studies on the registry; 25 are open to participants now.

Of its 13 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 10 (77%) have results posted.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 56 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

  • MS as defined by the Poser criteria
  • Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score of 0 to 6.5
  • Stable neurologic function for at least 30 days prior to study entry
  • Agree to continue all current medications for study duration
  • Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test score in low normal range or below
  • Mini-mental status exam score of 26 or higher
  • Montgomery-Asberg Depression Scale scaled score of 14 or lower
  • Fluent in English

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria

  • Use of anticholinergic or benzodiazepine medication
  • Change in dosage of medications judged to have the potential to impact cognitive function (e.g., antispasticity medications) within 2 weeks of study entry
  • Current alcohol or substance abuse
  • History of neurological or major medical problem that has a known effect on cognitive functioning
  • History of noncompliance
  • Visual or upper extremity impairment which precludes ability to participate in cognitive assessment
05

Study design

Phase
Phase 3
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Double
Enrollment
0 participants (actual)

Interventions

  • Drugdonepezil
  • Drugglucose
06

Study locations

1 site
  • University Hospital and Medical Center
    Stony Brook, New York 11794-8121, United States
07

References and documents

Publications

  • Prosiegel M, Michael C. Neuropsychology and multiple sclerosis: diagnostic and rehabilitative approaches. J Neurol Sci. 1993 Apr;115 Suppl:S51-4. doi: 10.1016/0022-510x(93)90209-h. PubMed 8340793 ↗
  • Rudick R, Antel J, Confavreux C, Cutter G, Ellison G, Fischer J, Lublin F, Miller A, Petkau J, Rao S, Reingold S, Syndulko K, Thompson A, Wallenberg J, Weinshenker B, Willoughby E. Clinical outcomes assessment in multiple sclerosis. Ann Neurol. 1996 Sep;40(3):469-79. doi: 10.1002/ana.410400321. PubMed 8797541 ↗
  • Wild KV, Lezak MD,Whitman RH, Bourdette DN: Psychosocial impact of cognitive impairment in the multiple sclerosis patient. J Clin Exp Neuropsychology 415: 685-691, 1991
  • Krupp LB, Sliwinski M, Masur DM, Friedberg F, Coyle PK. Cognitive functioning and depression in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome and multiple sclerosis. Arch Neurol. 1994 Jul;51(7):705-10. doi: 10.1001/archneur.1994.00540190089021. PubMed 8018045 ↗
  • Kujala P, Portin R, Revonsuo A, Ruutiainen J. Attention related performance in two cognitively different subgroups of patients with multiple sclerosis. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1995 Jul;59(1):77-82. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.59.1.77. PubMed 7608714 ↗
08

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Apr 25, 2017, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
09

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT00062972
Lead sponsor
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
Collaborators
U.S. Department of Education
First posted
Jun 19, 2003
Start date
Sep 1999
Completion
Aug 2002
Last update
Apr 25, 2017

Study contacts

Lauren B. Krupp, MD
principal investigator · Department of Neurology, University Hospital Medical Center
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is withdrawn, as verified in May 2011. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

Follow this study

Get an email when the registry record changes — status, dates, results — or when someone posts here.

Sign in to follow

Discussion

Questions and observations about this study, from anyone following it. Not medical advice, and not a channel to the study team — their contact details are on the registry record.

Sign in to join the discussion. Reading takes no account; posting does. You choose a display name, and a pseudonym is the default.

Nothing here yet. If you are running this trial, taking part in it, or weighing whether to, this is the place to say so.

Start the discussion