Evidence of Neuroplasticity After Performing a Cognitive Task in Idiopathic Parkinson's Disease Patients

Dr. Sharon Hassin

Status: Unknown

Conditions: Parkinson Disease

Treatments: Behavioral: Playing a computer game simulating a car race

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02494908

2372-15-SMC

Details and patient eligibility

About

As seen in previous studies Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) MRI is able to detect very subtle changes in brain tissue even after a very short timescale of hours resulting from performing a cognitive task and learning, We wish to explore and compare those changes to patients with idiopathic PD (IPD) and see if there are changes in the learning process and can we detect them using widely available noninvasive techniques such as MRI.

Full description

Aim: to utilize high sensitivity DTI MRI methodology to explore evidence for subtle microstructural brain alterations after performing a cognitive task and to compare those changes in patients with PD to healthy controls of the same age.

PD patients and controls will undergo a full cranial MRI scan for depiction of anatomy and structural abnormalities (scan duration ~40 min). Immediately afterwards the subjects will play a car race computer game (Need for Speed) for 90 minutes. Following the game, the patients will undergo an additional DTI MRI scan (~15 minutes).

Enrollment: 80 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 30 to 80 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Patients with IPD based on a clinical diagnosis of PD according to the United Kingdom Parkinson's Disease Society Brain Bank criteria (however patients with a positive family history and symmetrical onset may be included)
• Healthy subjects should have no known neurological disease matched for age and sex with the study group

Exclusion criteria

• History of cranial surgery, radiation therapy, tumor, stroke or significant head trauma
• History of psychiatric disease (major depression, bipolar affective disorder, schizophrenia)
• Patients with severe tremor or dyskinesias that may interfere with performance of the MRI scan
• Patients with Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score of 22 or under
• Contraindications for MRI (metal objects: implants/shrapnel/bullet; any electrically, magnetically or mechanically activated implants: cardiac pacemakers/defibrillator, biostimulators, neurostimulators, cochlear implants, hearing aids, insulin pump; claustrophobia)
• Subjects who are familiar and have played on multiple occasions the computer game "need for speed"

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: Non-Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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80 participants in 2 patient groups

Healthy controls

Active Comparator group

Description:

Healthy controls with no known neurological disease matched for sex and age with the patients group

Treatment:

Behavioral: Playing a computer game simulating a car race

IPD patients

Active Comparator group

Description:

Men and women diagnosed with idiopathic parkinson's disease

Treatment:

Behavioral: Playing a computer game simulating a car race