The Cognitive Enhancing Effects of D-Cycloserine Among Non-Demented Elderly

Hartford Hospital

Status and phase: Completed; Phase 2

Conditions: Treatment; Placebo

Treatments: Drug: d-cycloserine; Drug: Sugar Pill

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT01361633

126177

DIEF002352HI (Other Grant/Funding Number)

Details and patient eligibility

About

The goal of this study is to determine whether a study medication (d-cycloserine) improves the ability of older adults to perform on tests of neuropsychological functioning. Tests of neuropsychological functioning assess attention, memory, and executive functioning skills (for example, problem-solving, planning and organizing skills). It was hypothesized that participants who received study medication would perform better on neuropsychological tests than would participants who received the sugar pill.

Full description

Accumulating data support the augmenting effects of d-cycloserine (DCS) when combined with exposure-based treatment for anxiety disorders. Additional research is needed to determine whether DCS facilitates other forms of cognitive processing (e.g., attention, memory, executive functioning) that are involved in cognitive behavioral therapies which do not rely on extinction as a mechanism of action. This question is particularly important among older adults who have experienced normal age-related declines in cognitive functioning, which may interfere with their ability to benefit from cognitive-behavioral therapies. The aim of the current study was to determine the cognitive enhancing effects of DCS on neuropsychological test performance among healthy older adults. It was hypothesized that participants who received d-cycloserine would demonstrate superior performance on neuropsychological tests than would participants who received placebo.

Enrollment: 51 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 60+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• age 60 or older
• native English speaker

Exclusion criteria

• diagnosis of current psychiatric disorder
• substance abuse past 3 months
• cognitive impairment
• neurological disorder
• poor health or unstable medical condition
• positive toxicology screen
• current use of isoniazid
• current use of trecator
• severe renal insufficiency

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Triple Blind

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51 participants in 2 patient groups, including a placebo group

Medication

Experimental group

Description:

250 mg d-cycloserine

Treatment:

Drug: d-cycloserine

Sugar Pill

Placebo Comparator group

Treatment:

Drug: Sugar Pill