NCT00009217

Brief Summary

The optimal strategy for the treatment of behavioral complications in patients with probable Alzheimer's disease (AD) remains unclear. The objective of this study is to evaluate the risk of relapse following discontinuation of haloperidol in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) with psychosis or agitation who respond to it. In Phase A of this study, AD outpatients with behavioral complications receive 20 weeks of open haloperidol treatment with an oral dose of 1-5 mg daily, titrated individually to achieve the optimal trade-off between efficacy and side effects. Responders to Phase A participate in Phase B, a 24-week continuation trial in which patients are randomized to continuation haloperidol or placebo. The primary outcome is the time to relapse of psychosis or behavioral disturbance.

Trial Health

87
On Track

Trial Health Score

Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach

Enrollment
44

participants targeted

Target at P25-P50 for phase_4

Timeline
Completed

Started Jan 1999

Longer than P75 for phase_4

Geographic Reach
1 country

1 active site

Status
completed

Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.

Trial Relationships

Click on a node to explore related trials.

Study Timeline

Key milestones and dates

Study Start

First participant enrolled

January 1, 1999

Completed
2.1 years until next milestone

First Submitted

Initial submission to the registry

January 23, 2001

Completed
1 day until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

January 24, 2001

Completed
3.9 years until next milestone

Primary Completion

Last participant's last visit for primary outcome

December 1, 2004

Completed
Same day until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

December 1, 2004

Completed
Last Updated

May 24, 2016

Status Verified

February 1, 2012

Enrollment Period

5.9 years

First QC Date

January 23, 2001

Last Update Submit

May 23, 2016

Conditions

Keywords

Alzheimer's diseasepsychosisagitationhaloperidol

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

  • For the primary hypothesis, the primary endpoint is time to relapse.

    0-24 weeks in Phase B

Secondary Outcomes (3)

  • Severity of target symptoms at the end of Phase A as a predictor of relapse

    0-24 weeks in Phase B

  • Severity of Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale psychosis and hostile suspiciousness factor scores

    0-20 weeks in Phase A and 0-24 weeks in Phase B

  • MMSE and Blessed Functional Activity Scale

    0-20 weeks in Phase A and 0-24 weeks in Phase B

Study Arms (2)

Haloperidol-Haloperidol

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Haloperidol for 20 weeks followed by haloperidol for 24 weeks

Drug: Haloperidol-Haloperidol

Haloperidol-Placebo

PLACEBO COMPARATOR

Haloperidol for 20 weeks followed by placebo for 24 weeks

Drug: Haloperidol-Placebo

Interventions

Haloperidol open label flexible dose 1-5 mg daily for 20 weeks followed by haloperidol double-blind 1-5 mg for 24 weeks

Also known as: Haldol
Haloperidol-Haloperidol

Haloperidol open-label flexible dose of 1-5 mg for 20 weeks followed by placebo double-blind for 24 weeks

Also known as: Haldol
Haloperidol-Placebo

Eligibility Criteria

Age50 Years - 95 Years
Sexall
Healthy VolunteersNo
Age GroupsAdult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

  • Meets DSM-IV criteria for dementia either sex, age 50-95 years
  • Meets NINCDS-ADRDA criteria for probable Alzheimer's disease
  • Meets Folstein Mini-Mental State Exam score of 5-26, inclusive
  • Intellectual impairment reported for at least six months
  • Availability of family member who has had direct contact with the patient for an average of at least once every week during the three months prior to study entry
  • Has current symptoms of psychosis or agitation. Criteria for "psychosis" requires the presence of delusions and/or hallucinations identified by the Columbia University Scale for Psychopathology in Alzheimer's Disease (CUSPAD) and a minimum Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) psychosis factor score of at least 4 (moderate severity) on one of the following two items: These two items comprise the psychosis factor, excluding the item for conceptual disorganization. Agitation is defined as a score of greater than 3 (present at least 10 days per month) on one or more of the CERAD Behavioral Rating Scale for Dementia items for agitation, purposeless wandering, verbal aggression or physical aggression.
  • Free of psychotropic medication for at least two weeks prior to study entry, or able to tolerate medication washout for this period.
  • Informed consent by patient and family member, as per IRB procedures at New York State Psychiatric Institute.

You may not qualify if:

  • Acute unstable medical condition, delirium, alcohol or substance abuse or dependence within the past 1 year
  • Clinical evidence of stroke, other dementias including vascular or Lewy body or frontotemporal dementia, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, tardive dyskinesia
  • Diagnosis of a psychotic disorder antedating the onset of dementia
  • Antipsychotic medication usage during 4 weeks prior to study entry
  • Contraindication to the use of haloperidol

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Study Sites (1)

New York State Psychiatric Institute

New York, New York, 10032, United States

Location

Related Publications (1)

  • Devanand DP, Pelton GH, Cunqueiro K, Sackeim HA, Marder K. A 6-month, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot discontinuation trial following response to haloperidol treatment of psychosis and agitation in Alzheimer's disease. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2011 Sep;26(9):937-43. doi: 10.1002/gps.2630. Epub 2010 Dec 28.

Related Links

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Alzheimer DiseasePsychotic DisordersPsychomotor Agitation

Interventions

Haloperidol

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

DementiaBrain DiseasesCentral Nervous System DiseasesNervous System DiseasesTauopathiesNeurodegenerative DiseasesNeurocognitive DisordersMental DisordersSchizophrenia Spectrum and Other Psychotic DisordersDyskinesiasNeurologic ManifestationsPsychomotor DisordersNeurobehavioral ManifestationsSigns and SymptomsPathological Conditions, Signs and SymptomsAberrant Motor Behavior in DementiaBehavioral SymptomsBehavior

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

ButyrophenonesKetonesOrganic Chemicals

Study Officials

  • Davangere Devanand, M.D.

    Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeon

    PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

Study Type
interventional
Phase
phase 4
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Masking
QUADRUPLE
Who Masked
PARTICIPANT, CARE PROVIDER, INVESTIGATOR, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
Purpose
TREATMENT
Intervention Model
PARALLEL
Sponsor Type
OTHER
Responsible Party
SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

January 23, 2001

First Posted

January 24, 2001

Study Start

January 1, 1999

Primary Completion

December 1, 2004

Study Completion

December 1, 2004

Last Updated

May 24, 2016

Record last verified: 2012-02

Locations