Safety and Efficacy of Lithium Carbonate in Patients With Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 3

Summary

Design: Phase II-III, double-blind, parallel, placebo controlled randomized Clinical trial

Background: Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA-3) is an autosomal dominant adult-onset neurodegenerative disorder for which there is no current treatment. Patients will invariably become dependent from others and unable to walk during the disease course.

Hypothesis: Lithium Carbonate is safe and effective in treating neurological symptoms and improving quality of life of patients with SCA3.

Outcomes:

Primary

* Phase 2 - To assess safety and tolerability of Lithium Carbonate in patients with SCA3 after 6 months of follow-up
* Phase 3 (if Phase II study shows safety of therapy) - To assess efficacy of Lithium Carbonate in patients with SCA3 through the Neurological Examination Score for SCA 3 (NESSCA) after 12 months of follow-up .

Secondary

1. \- To assess efficacy on neurological function, ataxic, depressive and quality of life scores of Lithium Carbonate in patients with SCA3 through the Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA), 9-Hole Peg Board test, 8m walking time, PATA repetition rate, Click Test, SCA Functional Index (SCAFI), Composite Cerebellar Functional Score (CCFS), Beck Depression Inventory, Barthel Index and WHOQol after 6 and 12 months of follow-up.
2. \- To assess the effect of Lithium Carbonate in peripheral levels and expression of treatment biomarkers (BDNF, NSE, HDAC, GSK-3Beta)

Study Duration: 12 months

* Final analysis of phase 2 (safety study) at 6 months with continuous monitoring until the end of phase 3 (efficacy study).
* Preliminary analysis of efficacy on ataxia scales at 6 months of study and final analysis of phase 3 at 12 months.

Obs: A futility analysis will be performed after 12 months of therapy if no statistically significant difference between groups were found. This analysis will define if the study will continue until 18 or 24 months of follow-up or will be ended at 12 months.

Location: Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre

Subjects: 60 molecularly diagnosed SCA3 patients from the outpatient unit of the Medical Genetics Service of Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre

Intervention: Lithium Carbonate tablets of 300mg. Starting dose will be 300mg/day with drug titration during 49 days or until achieving the defined target lithium serum level of 0.5 to 0.8 mEq/L

Conditions

• Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 3
• Machado Joseph Disease

Interventions

DRUG

Lithium Carbonate

300 mg tablets, starting dose 300 mg/day

DRUG

Placebo

Similar shape, color and taste and the same number of tablets from the experimental group

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Laura B Jardim, MD PhD · Medical Genetics Service Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre

• Jonas AM Saute, MD · Neurology Service Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

QUADRUPLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

16 Years

Max Age

80 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2011-05-31

Primary Completion

2012-12-31

Completion

2013-01-31

Countries

• Brazil

Study Locations