Influence of Glucose on Metabolism and Clinical Symptoms of Patients With Parkinson's Disease

Trial statusRecruiting
Trial phaseNot listed
Trial typeObservational
Biological sexAll
Age50-80
SponsorUniversity Hospital Schleswig-Holstein

About this trial

Many patients with Parkinson's Disease (PD) report an increased consumption of fast-acting sugars. This tendency to consume sweet, high-sugar foods occurs in some patients even before the onset of cardinal motor symptoms. Some recent studies have demonstrated that PD patients have an increased consumption of fast-acting carbohydrates compared to healthy controls. However, the reason for this change in eating behavior has not yet been adequately explained. It is discussed that the increased sugar intake leads to an increased dopamine release in the brain via an increase in insulin and thus to an improvement in clinical symptoms. This study investigates the influence of fast-acting carbohydrates on insulin and glucose blood levels as well as motor and non-motor symptoms in patients with PD using an oral glucose tolerance test and a placebo oral glucose tolerance test in a crossover design.

Eligibility criteria

This trial does not accept healthy volunteers

Qualifiers

Diagnosis of Parkinson's Disease, stage Hoehn & Yahr 1.5-3

Ability to pause antiparkinsonian medication in the morning without relevant impairment

Capacity to give consent (determined in doubt by two independent neurologists, MOCA ≥18) and written informed consent.

Patients are between 50 and 80 years of age, with exceptions for a maximum of 5 additional patients enrolled per group

Disqualifiers

Other significant neurological diseases primarily affecting the central nervous system (e.g., multiple sclerosis)

Diagnosis of diabetes mellitus or prediabetes

Use of medications that affect glucose metabolism, such as antidiabetics, glucocorticoids, ciclosporin, tacrolimus, sirolimus, beta-blockers, thiazide diuretics, beta-2 adrenoreceptor agonists, theophylline, Clozapine, olanzapine, paliperidone, quetiapine, risperidone, tricyclic antidepressants, mirtazapine, mianserin, carbamazepine, gabapentin, pregabalin, valproic acid, lithium, antiretroviral drugs, statins

cardiac or brain pacemakers

Trial population

The study population includes Parkinson's Disease patients with and without sweet cravings. Recruitment of patients takes place in the outpatient clinic for movement disorders at the University of Kiel.

Trial design

Design model

Case-crossover

Time perspective

Prospective

Treatments tested in this trial

  • Oral Glucose Tolerance Test

    Diagnostic test

    Application of 82,5 g of glucose monohydrate solved in 300ml water

  • Placebo Oral Glucose Tolerance Test

    Other intervention

    Application of 125mg sucralose solved in 300ml water

Treatment groups

50 Participants
are divided into 2 treatment groups
Group A: PD patients with craving for sweets2 interventions
Group B: PD patients without craving for sweets2 interventions

Trial outcomes

Primary outcomes

1

Concentration of Insulin in µU/mL

Blood value

Time frame
immediately before Application of oral glucose tolerance test and placebo as well as 30, 60, 90 and 120 minutes after application
2

Motor function

assessed by Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale Part III, 0-132 points, higher points indicate worse motor function

Time frame
immediately before Application of oral glucose tolerance test and placebo as well as 30, 60 and 120 minutes after application
3

Concentration of Blood Glucose in mg/dL

Blood value

Time frame
immediately before Application of oral glucose tolerance test and placebo as well as 30, 60, 90 and 120 minutes after application

Secondary outcomes

1

Cognitive function

assessed by Montreal-Cognitive-Assessment-Test (MoCa), 0-30 points, higher points indicate better cognitive function

Time frame
immediately before Application of oral glucose tolerance test and placebo as well as 60 minutes after application

Other outcomes

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