Neuropsychiatry and Cognition in SCA3/MJD

Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre

Status: Unknown

Conditions: Machado-Joseph Disease; MJD; SCA3; Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 3

Treatments: Diagnostic Test: Activities of Daily Living; Diagnostic Test: Cognitive Testing; Diagnostic Test: Clinical Neurological Evaluation; Diagnostic Test: Emotional Attribution Evaluation; Diagnostic Test: SCA3/MJD molecular diagnosis; Diagnostic Test: Psychiatric Evaluation

Study type: Observational

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04714307

20190606

Details and patient eligibility

About

This research investigates how cognitive-affective aspects evolve during the course of SCA3/MJD. Due to COVID-19 pandemics, this study protocol was adapted for online-only consultations. Evaluations happening after March 2020 have been done by videocall with patients, and no neurological evaluation was thus performed on these patients. A scale on Activities of Daily Living was added to the online protocol to replace SARA, SCAFI and CCFS scales.

Full description

By the end of this study, the evaluated population will be composed of 144 participants: 36 ataxic SCA3/MJD carriers, 72 at 50% risk of carrying the SCA3/MJD mutation and 36 healthy controls. Ataxic subjects are invited to participate if they have an established molecular diagnosis of SCA3/MJD and have a SARA score greater than 2.5 points. At risk subjects are composed by the offspring of molecularly diagnosed SCA3/MJD subjects that have a SARA<3. Healthy controls belonging either to families living with the disease or to the general population are invited to participate according to how well they match with ataxic subjects included in the study. Subjects are invited to participate in the study and, after constentment procedures, cognitive-affective assessments and a scale on Activities of Daily Living (ADL) are performed on a videocall. At risk subjects collect a blood sample for double bilnd determination of their carrier status. Before March 2020, all procedures were performed in person and, instead of ADL, SARA, SCAFI and CCFS were obtained.

Enrollment: 144 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Symptomatic:
• older than 18 year old;
• molecular diagnosis of SCA3/MJD;
• SARA>2.5.
• At 50% risk:
• older than 18 year old;
• have a parent with molecular diagnosis of SCA3/MJD;
• SARA<3.
• Healthy Controls
• older than 18 year old;
• no genetic relationship with a SCA3/MJD carrier.

Exclusion criteria

• Non agreement in signing the informed consent;
• Healthy Controls: having any history of genetic disorders in their families or any psychiatric or neurologic disorder.

Trial design

144 participants in 3 patient groups

Symptomatic

Description:

Molecularly diagnosed SCA3/MJD Symptomatic subjects.

Treatment:

Diagnostic Test: Emotional Attribution Evaluation

Diagnostic Test: Cognitive Testing

Diagnostic Test: Psychiatric Evaluation

Diagnostic Test: Clinical Neurological Evaluation

Diagnostic Test: Activities of Daily Living

Non-related Controls

Description:

Controls matched with symptomatic by age and educational level.

Treatment:

Diagnostic Test: Emotional Attribution Evaluation

Diagnostic Test: Cognitive Testing

Diagnostic Test: Psychiatric Evaluation

At 50% risk for SCA3/MJD group

Description:

The offspring of affected individuals with SARA\<3. This group will be comprised of two subpopulations: pre-symptomatic individuals and related controls. The determination will be made upon molecular diagnosis to be done in a double-blind manner.

Treatment:

Diagnostic Test: Emotional Attribution Evaluation

Diagnostic Test: Cognitive Testing

Diagnostic Test: Psychiatric Evaluation

Diagnostic Test: SCA3/MJD molecular diagnosis

Diagnostic Test: Clinical Neurological Evaluation

Diagnostic Test: Activities of Daily Living