Blood Pressure Effects on Cognition and Brain Blood Flow in PD

Part of paid clinical trials in San Diego, California.

Sponsor
University of California, San Diego
Study ID
NCT05400174
Status
Recruiting
Apply to this trial

Conditions

Eligibility Criteria

Sex
ALL
Age
50 Years - N/A
Healthy Volunteers
Not accepted

Interventions

  • Tilt table (upright position) — DIAGNOSTIC_TEST
    Different versions of cognitive assessments will be administered in the supine and upright positions.

Study Details

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder worldwide. Besides causing symptoms that impair movement, PD also causes non-motor symptoms, such as problems thinking and orthostatic hypotension (OH), i.e., low blood pressure (BP) when standing. About one-third of people with PD have OH, which can cause sudden, temporary symptoms while upright, including lightheadedness, dizziness, and fainting. People with PD and OH can also experience problems thinking that happen only while upright and not while sitting - this can occur without other symptoms, such as feeling dizzy or faint. However, the level of low BP that can affect thinking remains unknown, and no guidelines exist for treating OH when it happens without symptoms. This is significant because OH could be a treatable risk factor for thinking problems in PD, but OH is often not treated if people do not report obvious symptoms. This project's goal is to determine how BP affects brain function in PD. The proposed experiments will measure BP and brain blood flow continuously in real-time using innovative wearable technology. Persons with PD with OH and without OH will undergo repeated cognitive tests while supine (lying down) and while upright. I will study the associations between BP, thinking abilities, and brain blood flow, and will compare groups with and without OH. These findings could be important because if a certain level of BP correlates with thinking abilities, then treating OH in PD may prevent thinking problems, which would improve health-related quality of life and reduce disability and healthcare costs.

Key Dates

Start date
Dec 14, 2021
Status verified
Apr 2026
Primary completion
Aug 15, 2026
Completion
Aug 15, 2026

Study Design

Enrollment
60 participants (estimated)
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
DIAGNOSTIC

Arms

  • Other: Supine cognitive testing first
    The cognitive testing sessions will be alternated between supine and upright positions. This group will perform cognitive testing sessions in the following order: 1) supine, 2) upright, 3) supine, 4) upright.
  • Other: Upright cognitive testing first
    The cognitive testing sessions will be alternated between supine and upright positions. This group will perform cognitive testing sessions in the following order: 1) upright, 2) supine, 3) upright, 4) supine.

Primary Outcome Measure

Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System Verbal Fluency Test score (number of words per minute). Minimum: 0; Maximum: N/A; higher is better [ Time Frame: up to 30 months ]

Central Contacts

Locations (1)

FacilityCityStateZIPSite coordinators
University of California San DiegoSan DiegoCalifornia92093
Katherine Longardner, MD
[email protected]
8588225751
Michael Skipworth, BS
[email protected]
8588225751
Katherine Longardner, MD (PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR)

Find similar trials in San Diego, CA

By condition
Parkinson's disease
By specialty
NeurologyBrain disorders
By research site
University of California San Diego· San Diego, CA

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