Methylphenidate for the Treatment of Gait Impairment in Parkinson's Disease
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2009-10-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
The purpose of this research study is to examine whether Methylphenidate (MPD) can result in
improvement of gait (walking) in a population of Parkinson's Disease (PD) patients whose main
disability is freezing of gait. MPD (Ritalin®) is a drug which can excite or stimulate
certain systems of the body that control motor function. This drug is FDA approved for the
treatment of attention hyperactivity disorder, a condition unrelated to PD.
The researchers hypothesize that daily treatment with a tolerable daily oral dose of MPD will
improve gait velocity, stride length, cadence, and decrease freezing of gait, 3 months from
treatment initiation in patients with moderately advanced PD, whose gait impairment is an
important source of disability despite optimized antiparkinsonian treatment.
Phase:
Phase 4
Details
Lead Sponsor:
University of Cincinnati
Collaborator:
Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research