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Choline Effects - Pre-symptomatic AD

Primary Purpose

Alzheimer Disease

Status
Recruiting
Phase
Phase 1
Locations
United States
Study Type
Interventional
Intervention
Choline
Sponsored by
Paul E Schulz
About
Eligibility
Locations
Arms
Outcomes
Full info

About this trial

This is an interventional treatment trial for Alzheimer Disease focused on measuring pre-symptomatic AD

Eligibility Criteria

55 Years - 80 Years (Adult, Older Adult)All SexesDoes not accept healthy volunteers

Inclusion Criteria: Has signed an informed consent form before any assessment is performed as part of the study. Be male or female between 55 and 80 years old. Be able to understand the nature of the study and have the opportunity to have all questions answered. Has tested positive for at least one copy of ApoE4. Has an MMSE score of 24 or greater. (can be based on documented result obtained within the previous 3 months). Is in the opinion of the Investigator, in good general medical health based upon medical history, physical examination, laboratory tests, vital signs and EKG. Has normal levels of Homocysteine in blood tests. A normal blood level is between 5 to 15 micromoles (mcmol/L) Completes the dietary interview with dietician. Females must be considered post-menopausal or not of child bearing potential. Exclusion Criteria: Current medical or neurological condition that might impact cognition or performance on cognitive assessments. (e.g. TBI, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, etc.) Inability or unwillingness of patient to undergo neuropsychological testing. Advanced, severe progressive or unstable disease that may interfere with the safety, tolerability and study assessments, or put the participant at special risk. (e.g. significant cardiac disease, severe renal impairment, severe hepatic impairment etc.) History of malignancy of any organ system, treated or untreated, within the past 60 months. Inability or unwillingness to undergo Lumbar Punctures. High dietary choline intake (more than 450mg) as determined by dietician Any condition, which in the opinion of the investigator, would put the subject at undue risk or would interfere with evaluation of the investigational product or interpretation of subject safety or study results.

Sites / Locations

  • The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth)Recruiting

Arms of the Study

Arm 1

Arm Type

Experimental

Arm Label

Choline

Arm Description

2.2 g of choline, given as choline bitartrate, for a total of 180 days.

Outcomes

Primary Outcome Measures

Changes in the fatty acid desaturation index (FADI) in the CSF following choline supplementation
FADI will be utilized to determine whether unsaturated to saturated lipids decreases by 15%
Changes in phosphatidylcholine (PC) in the CSF following choline supplementation
FADI ( fatty acid desaturation index) will be utilized to determine whether saturated PC increases by 100%

Secondary Outcome Measures

Number of participants with treatment-related adverse events
Safety endpoints will be monitored throughout the study and number of incidents reported at end of study. Aggregate values and percentages will be reported
Changes in phospholipids in CSF following choline supplementation
Will compare scaled intensity between baseline and 6 months.
Changes in phosphatidylcholine in blood following choline supplementation
Aggregate values and percentages will be reported.
Changes in choline in blood following choline supplementation
Aggregate values and percentages will be reported
Changes in proinflammatory cytokines in blood plasma following choline supplementation
Proinflammatory cytokine panel in plasma will be measured using commercially available immunosorbent assays to determine potential treatment effects. Aggregate values and percentages will be reported. Each sample will be tested in triplicate.
Changes in neurofilament light chain (Nf-L) in CSF following choline supplementation
Levels of NfL in CSF will be measured using commercially available immunosorbent assays to determine potential treatment effects. Aggregate values and percentages will be reported. Each sample will be tested in triplicate.
Changes in amyloid-β 42/40 ratio CSF following choline supplementation
Levels of amyloid-β 42/40 ratio in CSF will be measured by LC/MS/MS assays. Aggregate values and percentages will be reported.
Changes in p-Tau/Total Tau ratio in CSF following choline supplementation
Levels of p-Tau/Total Tau will be measured by LC/MS/MS assays. Aggregate values and percentages will be reported.

Full Information

First Posted
May 10, 2023
Last Updated
October 12, 2023
Sponsor
Paul E Schulz
Collaborators
M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Balchem Corporation
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1. Study Identification

Unique Protocol Identification Number
NCT05880849
Brief Title
Choline Effects - Pre-symptomatic AD
Official Title
Testing Whether Choline Normalizes Lipid Metabolism in APOE4 Carriers
Study Type
Interventional

2. Study Status

Record Verification Date
October 2023
Overall Recruitment Status
Recruiting
Study Start Date
June 26, 2023 (Actual)
Primary Completion Date
June 2025 (Anticipated)
Study Completion Date
June 2026 (Anticipated)

3. Sponsor/Collaborators

Responsible Party, by Official Title
Sponsor-Investigator
Name of the Sponsor
Paul E Schulz
Collaborators
M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Balchem Corporation

4. Oversight

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Drug Product
Yes
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Device Product
No
Data Monitoring Committee
No

5. Study Description

Brief Summary
The purpose of this study is to test the safety, tolerability, and effects of choline in people with increased risk of Alzheimer's Disease (AD), also known as pre-symptomatic AD. Choline is a dietary supplement, but is being investigated to see if it has any effects on the progression to AD.
Detailed Description
The purpose of this study is to determine the safety and tolerability, as well as the biochemical effects of choline bitartrate over a 6-month treatment period in a moderately sized population harboring at least one copy of the APOE4 gene. APOE is a protein involved in lipid transport. Studies show that the APOE4 variant is strongly associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer's Disease. It is unclear how APOE4 results in an increased risk for AD, but a recent study identified a novel molecular pathway, which showed that APOE4-induced dysfunction of lipid metabolism in neurons by cellular accumulation of unsaturated lipids. The investigators hypothesize that choline supplementation normalizes the APOE4-mediated dysregulation by normalizing the Kennedy pathway in neuronal cells, thus stabilizing the lipid metabolism and concomitantly restoring normal cell function by increasing phosphatidylcholine activity via the Kennedy pathway. To evaluate this, the investigators will test if choline supplementation will decrease the ratio of unsaturated lipids to saturated lipids (the fatty acid desaturation index) in cerebrospinal fluid by 15% and increase phosphatidylcholine by 100%.

6. Conditions and Keywords

Primary Disease or Condition Being Studied in the Trial, or the Focus of the Study
Alzheimer Disease
Keywords
pre-symptomatic AD

7. Study Design

Primary Purpose
Treatment
Study Phase
Phase 1
Interventional Study Model
Single Group Assignment
Masking
None (Open Label)
Allocation
N/A
Enrollment
14 (Anticipated)

8. Arms, Groups, and Interventions

Arm Title
Choline
Arm Type
Experimental
Arm Description
2.2 g of choline, given as choline bitartrate, for a total of 180 days.
Intervention Type
Drug
Intervention Name(s)
Choline
Other Intervention Name(s)
Choline Bitartrate, VitaCholine(R)
Intervention Description
Eight 275mg capsules taken orally twice daily (4 capsules with breakfast & 4 capsules with dinner) x 180 days
Primary Outcome Measure Information:
Title
Changes in the fatty acid desaturation index (FADI) in the CSF following choline supplementation
Description
FADI will be utilized to determine whether unsaturated to saturated lipids decreases by 15%
Time Frame
baseline, 6 months
Title
Changes in phosphatidylcholine (PC) in the CSF following choline supplementation
Description
FADI ( fatty acid desaturation index) will be utilized to determine whether saturated PC increases by 100%
Time Frame
baseline, 6 months
Secondary Outcome Measure Information:
Title
Number of participants with treatment-related adverse events
Description
Safety endpoints will be monitored throughout the study and number of incidents reported at end of study. Aggregate values and percentages will be reported
Time Frame
9 months
Title
Changes in phospholipids in CSF following choline supplementation
Description
Will compare scaled intensity between baseline and 6 months.
Time Frame
Baseline and 6 months
Title
Changes in phosphatidylcholine in blood following choline supplementation
Description
Aggregate values and percentages will be reported.
Time Frame
Baseline and 6 months
Title
Changes in choline in blood following choline supplementation
Description
Aggregate values and percentages will be reported
Time Frame
Baseline and 6 months
Title
Changes in proinflammatory cytokines in blood plasma following choline supplementation
Description
Proinflammatory cytokine panel in plasma will be measured using commercially available immunosorbent assays to determine potential treatment effects. Aggregate values and percentages will be reported. Each sample will be tested in triplicate.
Time Frame
Baseline and 6 months
Title
Changes in neurofilament light chain (Nf-L) in CSF following choline supplementation
Description
Levels of NfL in CSF will be measured using commercially available immunosorbent assays to determine potential treatment effects. Aggregate values and percentages will be reported. Each sample will be tested in triplicate.
Time Frame
Baseline and 6 months
Title
Changes in amyloid-β 42/40 ratio CSF following choline supplementation
Description
Levels of amyloid-β 42/40 ratio in CSF will be measured by LC/MS/MS assays. Aggregate values and percentages will be reported.
Time Frame
Baseline and 6 months
Title
Changes in p-Tau/Total Tau ratio in CSF following choline supplementation
Description
Levels of p-Tau/Total Tau will be measured by LC/MS/MS assays. Aggregate values and percentages will be reported.
Time Frame
Baseline and 6 months
Other Pre-specified Outcome Measures:
Title
Change in Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE) following choline supplementation
Description
Cognition measured by MMSE. Scoring: 24-30 no cognitive impairment; 18-23 mild cognitive impairment; 0-17 severe cognitive impairment.
Time Frame
Baseline and 6 months
Title
Change in Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) scores following choline supplementation
Description
Cognitive decline measured by RBANS. Total Score subtest ranges: List Learning (0-40); Story Memory (0-24); Figure Copy (0-20); Line Orientation (0-20); Picture Naming (0-10); Semantic Fluency (4-40); Digit Span (0-16); Coding (0-89); List Recall (0-10); List Recognition (0-20); Story Recall (0-12); Figure Recall (0-20). Use Stimulus Booklet to convert Total Scores to Index Scores and Sum of Index Scores to Total Scale. Total Scores can range from 40 to 160. The RBANS scores are displayed as standard scores with means of 100 and a standard deviation of 15. Average/Mild Impairment (standard scores of 70 or above), Moderate Impairment (standard scores from 55 to 69), and Severe Impairment (standard scores <54).
Time Frame
Baseline and 6 months
Title
Change in Functional Activities Questionnaire (FAQ) scores following choline supplementation
Description
Measure instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) by FAQ. Sum scores (range 1-30). Cut-point of 9 (dependent in 3 or more activities) is recommended to indicate impaired function and possible cognitive impairment.
Time Frame
Baseline and 6 months

10. Eligibility

Sex
All
Minimum Age & Unit of Time
55 Years
Maximum Age & Unit of Time
80 Years
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
No
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria: Has signed an informed consent form before any assessment is performed as part of the study. Be male or female between 55 and 80 years old. Be able to understand the nature of the study and have the opportunity to have all questions answered. Has tested positive for at least one copy of ApoE4. Has an MMSE score of 24 or greater. (can be based on documented result obtained within the previous 3 months). Is in the opinion of the Investigator, in good general medical health based upon medical history, physical examination, laboratory tests, vital signs and EKG. Has normal levels of Homocysteine in blood tests. A normal blood level is between 5 to 15 micromoles (mcmol/L) Completes the dietary interview with dietician. Females must be considered post-menopausal or not of child bearing potential. Exclusion Criteria: Current medical or neurological condition that might impact cognition or performance on cognitive assessments. (e.g. TBI, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, etc.) Inability or unwillingness of patient to undergo neuropsychological testing. Advanced, severe progressive or unstable disease that may interfere with the safety, tolerability and study assessments, or put the participant at special risk. (e.g. significant cardiac disease, severe renal impairment, severe hepatic impairment etc.) History of malignancy of any organ system, treated or untreated, within the past 60 months. Inability or unwillingness to undergo Lumbar Punctures. High dietary choline intake (more than 450mg) as determined by dietician Any condition, which in the opinion of the investigator, would put the subject at undue risk or would interfere with evaluation of the investigational product or interpretation of subject safety or study results.
Central Contact Person:
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name or Official Title & Degree
Alexa Bavero
Phone
713-486-0501
Email
Alexa.Bavero@uth.tmc.edu
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name or Official Title & Degree
Sahar Khan
Phone
713-486-2608
Email
Sahar.A.Khan@uth.tmc.edu
Overall Study Officials:
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name & Degree
Paul E Schulz, MD
Organizational Affiliation
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth)
Official's Role
Principal Investigator
Facility Information:
Facility Name
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth)
City
Houston
State/Province
Texas
ZIP/Postal Code
77054
Country
United States
Individual Site Status
Recruiting
Facility Contact:
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name & Degree
Stephan Hardin
Phone
713-486-0547
Email
Stephan.N.Hardin@uth.tmc.edu
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name & Degree
Nathan Goodwin
Phone
713-500-5083
Email
Nathan.Goodwin@uth.tmc.edu

12. IPD Sharing Statement

Plan to Share IPD
No

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Choline Effects - Pre-symptomatic AD

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