NCT06378736

Brief Summary

Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) often experience a frustrating decline of their cognitive skills that includes considerable problems in attention, learning, and memory. This lupus-related cognitive dysfunction (termed SLE-CD) is recognized as the most prevalent of the nineteen neuropsychiatric SLE syndromes, as it affects up to 80% of patients and can significantly decrease their quality of life. The goal is to have tools that can be used for diagnosis and for monitoring responses after targeted interventions and therapies. This study will focus on electroencephalographic (EEG) signals, which will be detected noninvasively from scalp placed surface electrodes while the subjects are in a state of wakeful rest. Our hypothesis is that a subset of brain oscillations known as theta and gamma, and their co-modulation or coupling will be disrupted in SLE patients. This research protocol will subject patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) to scalp electroencephalography (EEG), with the goal of determining whether specific EEG patterns ('theta-gamma coupling') appear abnormal during wakeful-rest periods of 20 minutes. The investigators are interested in using scalp EEG because it is a standard, safe and robust technique for monitoring the electrophysiological activity of neurons in the cerebral cortex.

Trial Health

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Trial Health Score

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

Trial has exceeded expected completion date
Enrollment
40

participants targeted

Target at P25-P50 for all trials

Timeline
Completed

Started Jan 2024

Typical duration for all trials

Geographic Reach
1 country

1 active site

Status
recruiting

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

Trial Relationships

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Study Timeline

Key milestones and dates

Study Start

First participant enrolled

January 22, 2024

Completed
3 months until next milestone

First Submitted

Initial submission to the registry

April 17, 2024

Completed
5 days until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

April 22, 2024

Completed
1.9 years until next milestone

Primary Completion

Last participant's last visit for primary outcome

March 23, 2026

Completed
Same day until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

March 23, 2026

Completed
Last Updated

April 29, 2024

Status Verified

March 1, 2024

Enrollment Period

2.2 years

First QC Date

April 17, 2024

Last Update Submit

April 25, 2024

Conditions

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

  • A measure of the amount and relationship of theta and gamma waves in the EEG recording. The ability to perform the block building task and the ability to choose among unfolded three-dimensional objects.

    Patient will build with toy blocks and three dimensional combination will suffice. The patient will also observe three dimensional objects - cubes, for example, that are unfolded and choose a matching object from an array that includes the object and three foils. EEG activity will be recorded during this period. As the subjects will be fitted with noninvasive EEG caps (using dry electrodes that will contact the scalp directly) which will record the ongoing brain activity while the subjects, in a wakeful resting mode attempt to build with the toy blocks and analyze the three dimensional figures. This activity will go on for approximately 20 minutes. The EEG signals will be analyzed to determine the theta gamma coupling (TGC).

    Aim 1 will take the first 24 patients and they will spend an hour and a half undergoing EEG measuring TGC. For Aim 2 the patients will undergo EEG measuring TGC and predict the subsequent PET scan - which will occur under a separate protocol.

Interventions

The proposed study is to determine whether EEG signals, namely theta-gamma coupling (TGC); The investigators are testing whether TGC can be used as a non-invasive novel biomarker in diagnosis and monitoring of insidious and difficult to detect cognitive dysfunction in SLE patients.

Eligibility Criteria

Age18 Years - 65 Years
Sexfemale(Gender-based eligibility)
Healthy VolunteersNo
Age GroupsAdult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)
Sampling MethodProbability Sample
Study Population

Twenty of the SLE subjects that have participated in prior brain imaging studies. The other 20 SLE subjects will be recruited from 2 ongoing observational studies of brain involvement in SLE.

You may qualify if:

  • Must be able to understand and provide informed consent.
  • Must be ≥18 and ≤65years of age.
  • Must be female.
  • Must fulfill the 1997 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) revised criteria for the diagnosis of SLE or the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC) Criteria for SLE.
  • Must have stable disease activity and medication doses for 4 weeks prior to screening. Stable disease activity is defined as no increase in disease activity requiring an increase or change in medications.
  • Must be on a corticosteroid dose that is ≤ prednisone 10 mg daily, or equivalent.
  • Aim 1 ONLY: Must have demonstrated significantly increased metabolism in the hippocampus, temporal or parietal lobes on prior fluoro-deoxy glucose (FDG)-PET imaging.

You may not qualify if:

  • Inability or unwillingness to give written informed consent or comply with study protocol.
  • History of neurological diseases including, but not limited to, severe head injury or history of brain surgery, stroke, seizure, toxic exposure, mental retardation, migraine headaches, multiple sclerosis, dementia.
  • History of documented transient ischemic attacks within 6 months of screening.
  • History of illicit drug or alcohol dependence/abuse within the past 12 months.
  • Current use of antipsychotic, anticonvulsant, antidepressant (except for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) or anxiolytic medications (short acting anxiolytic medications are allowed if taken as needed with \> 5 half-lives prior to assessments).
  • History of chronic pain; current and/or chronic use of narcotic analgesia for \> 21 days (total) within the last 3 months, or last dose less than 5 days prior to assessment.
  • Increased disease activity within 4 weeks of screening defined by an increase in SLEDAI by 3 points or more, exclusive of points from serologies, which prompts an increase in or new addition of SLE medications.
  • History of a diagnosis of a primary psychiatric disorder preceding SLE diagnosis.
  • Current active acute infections requiring antibiotics within 2 weeks of screening and chronic known infections (eg. hepatitis B, C, and/or HIV).
  • Co-existing other autoimmune disease(s) other than autoimmune thyroid disease and secondary Sjogren's Syndrome.
  • The presence of uncontrolled, severe hypertension, diabetes or heart disease.
  • Impaired renal function with an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR)\< 30.
  • Presence of any active medical condition that in the opinion of the investigator may contribute to cognitive and/or behavioral disturbances.
  • Use of investigational drugs within 30 days or 5 half-lives before the study visit, whichever is longer.
  • Past or current medical problems or findings from physical examination or laboratory testing that are not listed above, which, in the opinion of the investigator, may pose additional risks from participation in the study, may interfere with the participant's ability to comply with study requirements or that may impact the quality or interpretation of the data obtained from the study.
  • +3 more criteria

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Study Sites (1)

Northwell Health-Feinstein Insitute

Manhasset, New York, 11030, United States

RECRUITING

Biospecimen

Retention: SAMPLES WITH DNA

Whole blood (5 ml) will be drawn and processed.

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Connective Tissue DiseasesSkin and Connective Tissue DiseasesAutoimmune DiseasesImmune System Diseases

Central Study Contacts

Bruce T Volpe, MD

CONTACT

Study Design

Study Type
observational
Observational Model
CASE CONTROL
Time Perspective
PROSPECTIVE
Sponsor Type
OTHER
Responsible Party
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
PI Title
Professor, Investigator

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

April 17, 2024

First Posted

April 22, 2024

Study Start

January 22, 2024

Primary Completion

March 23, 2026

Study Completion

March 23, 2026

Last Updated

April 29, 2024

Record last verified: 2024-03

Data Sharing

IPD Sharing
Will share

The investigators will make recordings available to qualified researchers and pay attention to keep protected health information (PHI) confidential.

Shared Documents
STUDY PROTOCOL, SAP, ICF, CSR, ANALYTIC CODE
Time Frame
After the complete analysis of the patient groups and after complete analysis of the healthy control group.
Access Criteria
To be determined.

Locations