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CompletedNCT03840837Updated Dec 20, 2023

Cholinergic Neurotransmission in Mobility and Cognition in Parkinson Disease

A Phase 4 interventional study of Rivastigmine transdermal patch in Parkinson Disease and Parkinson Disease Dementia, sponsored by University of Maryland, Baltimore. Completed at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2023-12-20.

Sponsored by University of Maryland, Baltimore · Phase 4, Interventional, and Treatment

From the registry’s dates

  • Primary completion was Apr 2020, 6 years 6 months ago, and no results have been posted to the registry; the sponsor requested a delay in submitting them in Jan 2022.
Phase
Phase 4
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
31
Allocation
Non-randomized
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Study summary

This is a single-site non-randomized open label pilot study. The investigators will use accelerometer-based instrumented gait analysis and computerized cognitive testing to study the interaction of motor and cognitive dysfunction in Parkinson disease dementia (PDD), and the effect of rivastigmine on motor and cognitive performance. All study participants will be tested for motor and cognitive performance at baseline (arm 1). A subgroup of study participants will then be treated with rivastigmine for 12 weeks (arm 2), and the effect of this treatment on gait measures and cognitive measures will be analyzed at the follow-up visit 12 weeks after the baseline visit. Specifically, we will determine which components of motor and cognitive impairment are associated with each other, and which components of the two domains respond to rivastigmine-mediated stimulation of cholinergic neurotransmission.

Read the detailed description

This is a single-site non-randomized open label clinical trial in patients with Parkinson disease (PD) and mild to moderate cognitive deficits, designed to 1) identify associations between cognitive impairment and gait impairment, and 2) identify cognitive domains and gait measures that improve after 12 weeks of treatment with rivastigmine. Aim 1 will be addressed with a cross-sectional approach (arm 1, baseline only, all participants), and aim 2 will be addressed with a longitudinal interventional approach (arm 2, 12 week-treatment with rivastigmine, subgroup of participants).

Patients with idiopathic Parkinson disease (PD) and mild to moderate cognitive deficits amounting to PD dementia (PDD) will be enrolled. At baseline (arm 1), all participants will perform the timed-up-and-go test (TUG), wearing a light-weight sensor device strapped to the lower back with a neoprene belt. Participants will also complete a computerized cognitive test battery (NeuroTrax Mild Cognitive Impairment \& Early Dementia Battery by MindStreams). A subgroup of participants (arm 2) will then be treated with transdermal rivastigmine for 12 weeks, with dose increases every 4 weeks and titration up to 13.3 mg/24h, if tolerated. The same assessment (quantitative gait testing and NeuroTrax computerized cognitive test battery) will be repeated after 12 weeks, with the participant on a stable dose of transdermal rivastigmine.

The investigators will analyze correlation of iTUG measures and cognitive measures at baseline (cross-sectional analysis). The investigators will also analyze change in iTUG measures and cognitive measures between baseline and follow-up for the subgroup of participants in arm 2 (in other words, before and after rivastigmine treatment; longitudinal analysis).

02

Conditions studied

  • Parkinson Disease
  • Parkinson Disease Dementia

Keywords

  • cognitive impairment
  • Parkinson disease dementia
  • wearable sensor
  • gait analysis
  • rivastigmine
  • cholinesterase inhibitor
03

In context

Parkinson Disease

4,487 studies on the registry are indexed under Parkinson Disease; 1,082 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 31 is below the median of 40 across 3,294 interventional studies indexed under Parkinson Disease.

Browse Parkinson Disease studies →

Lead sponsor

University of Maryland, Baltimore is the lead sponsor of 687 studies on the registry; 130 are open to participants now.

Of its 90 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 63 (70%) have results posted.

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

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

  • Age ≥ 18 years.
  • Diagnosis of idiopathic Parkinson disease.
  • Mild to moderate cognitive impairment, as determined by a MoCA score of ≤ 25 and ≥ 10.
  • Patient passes the Evaluation to Sign Consent (ESC) or a legally authorized representative (LAR) is present at the time of enrollment and signs the informed consent form on behalf of the patient.
  • Patient is enrolled (or willing to be enrolled) in the University of Maryland Parkinson Disease and Movement Disorders Center PD Research Database (HP 42195)

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Advanced Parkinson disease (Hoehn \& Yahr stage 5), with inability to walk unassisted.
  • Other medical condition(s) that significantly interfere(s) with gait and balance (e.g., advanced arthritis).
05

Study design

Phase
Phase 4
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Non-randomized
Intervention model
Sequential assignment
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
31 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • No intervention
    Arm 1: baseline only (cross-sectional)

    At baseline, all participants will undergo instrumented gait/balance testing, using a wearable sensor (Dynaport MT), and cognitive testing, using a computerized cognitive test battery (NeuroTrax Mild Cognitive Impairment \& Early Dementia Battery by MindStreams). In other words, all participants will be part of arm 1.

  • Experimental
    Arm 2: rivastigmine (longitudinal)

    As study intervention, a subgroup of participants will then be treated with transdermal rivastigmine patch for 12 weeks, with dose increases every 4 weeks and titration up to 13.3 mg/24h, if tolerated. For the arm 2 subgroup of participants, the same assessment that was performed at baseline (quantitative gait testing and NeuroTrax computerized cognitive test battery) will be repeated after 12 weeks, with the patient on a stable dose of transdermal rivastigmine.

    Drug: Rivastigmine transdermal patch

Interventions

  • DrugRivastigmine transdermal patch

    Titration of transdermal rivastigmine, as per arm description.

    Also known as: Exelon transdermal patch

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Timed-Up-and-Go (TUG) duration [s]

    Time participant needs to complete the TUG.

    Time frame: Data analysis will be completed within 6 months of completing study enrollment.

  2. NeuroTrax Executive Function score

    Result of the NeuroTrax computerized cognitive test of executive function.

    Time frame: Data analysis will be completed within 6 months of completing study enrollment.

07

Study locations

1 site
  • University of Maryland School of Medicine, Dept. of Neurology
    Baltimore, Maryland 21201, United States
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No — All data generated during this project will be shared with the scientific community through peer-reviewed publications and presentations at national and international conferences. We will share our raw data with qualified collaborating scientists upon request. Only aggregated data of study participants will be made available to other researchers.

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Dec 20, 2023, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT03840837
Lead sponsor
University of Maryland, Baltimore
Collaborators
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
Responsible party
F. Rainer von Coelln, MD (Assistant Professor, University of Maryland, Baltimore) — Principal investigator
First posted
Feb 15, 2019
Start date
May 2, 2019
Primary completion
Apr 1, 2020
Completion
Apr 1, 2020
Last update
Dec 20, 2023

Study contacts

Rainer von Coelln, Dr. med.
principal investigator · University of Maryland, Baltimore

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
Yes
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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This study is completed, as verified in Dec 2023. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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