Neurobiological Drivers of Mobility Resilience: The Dopaminergic System
Status:
Recruiting
Trial end date:
2022-09-21
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Walking with age becomes both slower and less 'automated', requiring more attention and brain
resources. As a result, older adults have a greater risk of negative outcomes and falls.
There is an urgent need to identify factors that can help compensate for these harmful
factors and reduce walking impairments, as there are currently no effective treatments
available. Investigators have recently discovered that ~20% of older adults maintain fast
walking speed even in the presence of small blood vessel brain changes and leg problems, thus
appearing to be protected against these harmful factors. The investigators work suggests that
the brain dopamine (DA) system may be a source of this protective capacity. Investigators
have also shown that lower levels of dopamine are associated with slow walking. Investigators
will be investigating the role of dopamine on slow walking and other parkinsonian signs using
detailed clinical assessment, assessment of dopamine activity, and clinical interventions.
Phase:
Phase 1/Phase 2
Details
Lead Sponsor:
University of Michigan
Treatments:
Carbidopa Carbidopa, levodopa drug combination Dopamine Dopamine Agonists Levodopa