Effect of Testosterone Therapy in Men With Alzheimer's Disease and Low Testosterone - Full Text View

Sponsors and Collaborators:	VA Medical Center, Houston Solvay Pharmaceuticals
Information provided by:	VA Medical Center, Houston
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:	NCT00392912

Purpose

Treatment with testosterone can improve performance on tests of spatial ability in men with low testosterone levels and Alzheimer's disease. Improved performance on these tests may mean an improved ability to get around in one's environment without getting lost or injured. This could have a positive impact on both patients and those who care for them. We will investigate what areas of the brain are involved in these improvements in spatial ability. This will be done using a PET scan, which creates a 3-dimensional image of the brain that can allow us to see how the brain functions.

Condition	Intervention
Alzheimer's Disease Hypogonadism	Drug: Testosterone replacement therapy: AndroGel 1% 5g packets (Solvay Pharmaceuticals)

Genetics Home Reference related topics: Alzheimer disease

MedlinePlus related topics: Alzheimer's Disease Nuclear Scans

Drug Information available for: Testosterone Methyltestosterone Oxymesterone Testosterone enanthate Testosterone Propionate Testosterone undecanoate Dextrose

U.S. FDA Resources

Study Type:	Interventional
Study Design:	Treatment, Non-Randomized, Open Label, Uncontrolled, Single Group Assignment, Pharmacokinetics Study
Official Title:	A Pilot Study of the Effect of Testosterone on Cerebral Glucose Metabolism in Hypogonadal Males With Alzheimer's Disease

Further study details as provided by VA Medical Center, Houston:

Primary Outcome Measures:

Calculated difference image of pre-treatment and on-treatment PET scans.

Secondary Outcome Measures:

Change in cognitive function at 8-week intervals over a 6-month period.

Estimated Enrollment:	12
Study Start Date:	April 2007
Estimated Study Completion Date:	June 2009
Estimated Primary Completion Date:	June 2009 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)

Intervention Details:

AndroGel 1% 5g packets (Solvay Pharmaceuticals). Initial dosage: 5g daily (1 packet). Patients who do not achieve eugonadal levels of 400-600 mg/dL within 2 weeks will be raised to 10g daily.

Detailed Description:

Volunteers will be treated with a prescription testosterone gel applied to the shoulder or other body area each day. This treatment will continue for 6 months. Subjects will undergo a PET scan at the beginning of the study and after approximately 2 months of treatment. Subjects will undergo some cognitive testing throughout the study.

Eligibility

Ages Eligible for Study:	55 Years and older
Genders Eligible for Study:	Male
Accepts Healthy Volunteers:	No

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

Alzheimer's disease diagnosis, based on Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.; DSM-V)
Total testosterone < 300 ng/dL and/or calculated free testosterone < 50 pg/ml
Sufficient English to perform cognitive testing
Stable on concomitant medications for 1 month prior to starting study

Exclusion Criteria:

history of prostate cancer
history of breast cancer
gonadal endocrine disorders
current major psychiatric illness (excluding depression)
significant uncontrolled systemic illness
recent myocardial infarction (within 6 months)
renal or hepatic disease, sleep apnea
history of alcoholism or substance abuse within the past year
history of head injury with loss of consciousness greater than 1 hour
testosterone or other androgen treatment within past 3 months
history of taking other drugs that might interfere with the results of the study (ie, spironolactone, cimetidine, antiandrogens, estrogens, p450 enzyme inducers, barbiturates)
symptomatic BPH: prostatic symptoms, prostatic masses or induration on rectal examination
prostate specific antigen (PSA) >4.0 mg/mL
hemoglobin > 17 mg/dL
generalized skin disease that could affect the absorption of testosterone gel (ie, psoriasis).
potentially agitated or uncooperative for procedures

Contacts and Locations

Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00392912

Contacts

Contact: Robert S. Tan, MD	713-794-7382	Robert.Tan@med.va.gov
Contact: Maurita Carrejo, MS	713-794-8766	Maurita.Carrejo@med.va.gov

Locations

United States, Texas
Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center	Recruiting
Houston, Texas, United States, 77030
Contact: Maurita Carrejo, MS 713-794-8766 Maurita.Carrejo@med.va.gov

Sponsors and Collaborators

VA Medical Center, Houston

Solvay Pharmaceuticals

Investigators

Principal Investigator:

Robert S. Tan, MD

Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, Houston, TX

More Information

Responsible Party:	( Robert Tan, MD )
Study ID Numbers:	GR-294
Study First Received:	October 24, 2006
Last Updated:	August 6, 2008
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:	NCT00392912
Health Authority:	United States: Institutional Review Board

Keywords provided by VA Medical Center, Houston:

testosterone
hypogonadal
cerebral glucose metabolism
PET scan
Alzheimer's disease

Study placed in the following topic categories:

Gonadal Disorders
Alzheimer Disease
Central Nervous System Diseases
Endocrine System Diseases
Methyltestosterone
Brain Diseases
Neurodegenerative Diseases
Cognition Disorders

Testosterone 17 beta-cypionate
Testosterone
Hypogonadism
Delirium, Dementia, Amnestic, Cognitive Disorders
Mental Disorders
Endocrinopathy
Dementia
Delirium

Additional relevant MeSH terms:

Anabolic Agents
Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal
Antineoplastic Agents
Therapeutic Uses
Physiological Effects of Drugs
Nervous System Diseases

Hormones, Hormone Substitutes, and Hormone Antagonists
Tauopathies
Hormones
Pharmacologic Actions
Androgens

ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on January 14, 2009