Study of Methylphenidate to Treat Gait Disorders And Attention Deficit In Parkinson's Disease (PARKGAIT-II)
Study of Methylphenidate to Treat Gait Disorders And Attention Deficit In Parkinson's Disease (PARKGAIT-II)
Therapeutic management of gait disorders in very advanced Parkinson's disease (PD) patients
 can sometimes be disappointing, since dopaminergic drug treatments and subthalamic nucleus
 (STN) stimulation are more effective for limb-related Parkinsonian signs than for gait
 disorders. Gait disorders could be also partly related to noradrenergic system impairment,
 pharmacological modulation of both dopamine and noradrenaline pathways could potentially
 improve the symptomatology. The investigators have demonstrated using an open label study on
 17 advanced PD patients that chronic, high doses of methylphenidate (MPD) improved gait,
 freezing of gait, motor symptoms and attention in the absence of L-Dopa and increased the
 intensity of response of these symptoms to L-Dopa (Devos et al., 2007). The investigators
 aimed to confirm their results using a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled,
 parallel-group, multicentric trial. The investigators will assess the clinical value of
 chronic, high doses (1 mg/kg/day) of MPD vs placebo in 88 non demented PD patients suffering
 from severe gait disorders with freezing despite their use of optimal dopaminergic doses and
 eventually STN stimulation parameters. Efficacy will be assessed directly and on video in the
 absence of L-Dopa and again after acute administration of the drug, both before and after a
 3-month course of MPD, using Stand Walk Sit test (primary criteria), the "Freezing Of Gait
 trajectory", RGSE scale, the UPDRS scores, the dyskinesia rating scale, Achiron scales and
 using auto-questionnaires of Giladi, ABC scale and PDQ 39. Attention will be assessed using
 reactions times. Drowsiness will be assessed using Epworth and Parkinson's disease Sleep
 Scales. Apathy and depression will be monitored with Lille Apathy Rating Scale, MADRS, BPRS,
 MINI and psychiatric interview. Cardiologic and general tolerance will be also monitored.
 This study could lead to propose methylphenidate with a good efficacy/ risk balance in
 advanced PD patients suffering from severe gait disorders with freezing of gait, drowsiness
 and attention deficit.
Overall study duration: 2 years. Planned inclusion period: 12 months. Study duration for
 individual patients: 4 months and 2 weeks(2 weeks between screening and randomization, 3
 months of double-blind treatment and then a 4-week wash-out period).

 Primary objective (V1 and V4):

 To assess efficacy of methylphenidate treatment on severe gait disorders including freezing
 assessed by the Stand Walk Sit Test in patients with advanced Parkinson's disease without
 dementia or depression and under subthalamic stimulation

 Additional Efficacy Endpoints (V1 and V4):

 -  Gait and motor symptoms: the "Freezing Of Gait trajectory", RGSE scale, the UPDRS scores
 (partI, II, III, IV), the dyskinesia rating scale

 -  auto-questionnaires of Giladi, ABC scale and PDQ 39

 -  Attention: simple and complex reactions times

 -  Drowsiness: Epworth and Parkinson's disease Sleep Scales

 -  Apathy Lille Apathy Rating Scale

 -  Depression and other psychiatric disorders: MADRS, BPRS, MINI and psychiatric interview

 Safety and Tolerability Endpoints (V1, V2, V3 and V4):

 Tolerability Number of subjects (%) who discontinue the study Number of subjects (%) who
 discontinue the study due to AEs Safety Measures AE incidence Safety laboratory values Vital
 signs Blood pressure monitoring ECG Physical and neurological examination

 Study Design:

 Multicentric study: 12-week double blind, placebo-controlled phase. After being found
 eligible to participate in the study, subjects will be allocated in a 1:1 ratio into one of
 the following two treatment groups based on a randomization scheme with blocks stratified:

 one methylphenidate

 -  1st week: 1/2cp 3 times a day (morning, at noon and at 16h)

 -  2nd week: 1cp 3 times a day

 -  3rd week: 1cp + 1/2cp 3 times a day

 -  4th week: depending on the weight: 2 to 3 cp 3 times a day (1 mg/kg/day)

 During the 2 following month: 2 to 3 cp 3 times a day (1 mg/kg/day) one placebo during 3
 months same as methylphenidate

 Schedule: 10 visits Six short consultations: screening (V0), safety visits every 15 days (V2,
 V3, V4, V5, V6) and two last consultation for the decrease titration (V8, V9) Two long visits
 during an hospitalization of two days: randomization (V1, 15 days after V0) and visit of
 termination (V7, 3 months after randomization)

 Patients 76 subjects with Parkinson's disease duration of more than 5 years, without dementia
 (Mattis Dementia Rating Scale ≥ 130, MMSE ≥ 27 and DSM IV), without major depression (MADRS <
 18) who have severe gait disorders including freezing of gait (defined by an answer 2 or 3 at
 the 3rd question of the autoquestionnaire of Giladi: Do your gait disorders impede your daily
 living activities and your independence: answer: yes, moderately or severely. But the patient
 requires no physical assistance to walk) despite an optimal dopaminergic treatment and
 optimal and if present stable subthalamic stimulation parameters. No additional therapy will
 be permitted during the study.

 Centres :

 LILLE :

 Neurological department, CHU de Lille, EA 2683, IFR 114 : Pr L. Defebvre, Pr K. Dujardin, Dr
 D. Devos, Pr Destee, Mme Delliaux. Dr A Kreisler, Dr C Simonin, Dr C. Moreau, Dr A. Delval
 Department of Pharmacology, Faculté de Médecine, Lille II, EA 1046, IFR 114 : R. Bordet.

 CHU AMIENS :Pr. P. KRYSTKOWIAK Place Victor PAUCHET - 80054 AMIENS Cedex 1. CH AIX EN
 PROVENCE : Dr F. VIALLET Avenue Tamaris - 13616 AIX-en-PROVENCE. APHP - HOPITAL DE LA PITIE
 SALPETRIERE : Pr M. VIDAILHET 47-83, Boulevard de l'Hôpital - 75 PARIS 13ème CHU BORDEAUX :
 Pr. F. TISON 1, Avenue Magellan - 33600 PESSAC CHU CLERMONT-FERRANT : Pr. F. DURIF 58, Rue
 Montalambert - 63000 CLERMONT-FERRRAND CHU CRETEIL : Pr. P. CESARO 51, Avenue du Maréchal de
 Lattre de Tassigny - 94000 CRETEIL CHU GRENOBLE : Pr P. POLLAK Bd de la Chantourne - BP 217 -
 38700 La Tronche. CHU MARSEILLE : Pr. JP AZULAY Hôpital de la Timone - 13385 MARSEILLE cedex
 05 CHU NANTES : Pr PH. DAMIER Hôtel-Dieu - Place Alexis Ricordeau - 44093 Nantes cedex 1 CHU
 POITIERS : Dr JL HOUETO 2, Rue de la Milétrie - 86000 POITIERS. CHU RENNES : Pr. M. VERIN CHU
 Pontchaillou , Rue H. Le Guilloux - 35033 Cedex 9. CHU ROUEN :DR D. MALTETE

 1, Rue Germont - 76000 ROUEN. CHU TOULOUSE : Pr. O. RASCOL Hôpital Purpan - Place du Docteur
 Baylac - TSA 40031 - 31059 Toulouse cedex 9. CHU STRASBOURG : Pr. C. TRANCHANT Hôpital civil
 - 1 place de l'hôpital BP 426 - 67091 Strasbourg cedex CHU CAEN : Pr. G. DEFER Avenue Côte de
 Nacre - 14000 CAEN. CHU NICE : M. BORG Hôpital Pasteur - 30, Avenue de la Voie Romaine -
 06000 NICE Promoteur de l'étude : CHRU de Lille
Inclusion Criteria:

 -  Parkinson's disease of more than 5 years

 -  Subthalamic nucleus stimulation

 -  Gait disorders impeding moderately to severely the activities of daily living

 -  gait disorders including freezing of gait

 -  able to walk without physical assistance

 Exclusion Criteria:

 -  Dementia (MMSE < 27 et score de Mattis < 130)

 -  Requiring dopatherapie modification

 -  Requiring subthalamic stimulation parameters adaptation

 -  Psychiatric disorders: hallucinations, unstable thymic disorders, psychosis)

 -  Cardiac disorders: dysrhythmia or unstable arterial hypertension

 -  Unstable or severe medical illness

 -  intolerance or contraindication to methylphenidate