Elucidating the Role of Cholinergic Degeneration in Cognitive Fluctuations in Lewy Body Dementia
Virginia Commonwealth University
120 participants
Dec 8, 2025
INTERVENTIONAL
Conditions
Summary
The proposed study aims to address the critical gaps in understanding the mechanisms of CF (Cognitive Fluctuations) by leveraging recently emerged molecular biomarkers, advanced neuroimaging techniques to assess measures of cholinergic degeneration, and synchronous EEG and assessments of attention. One of the overarching innovations of study is combining all of these assessments into one integrated research plan
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria22
- Arm 1:
- Age range: 50 ≤ age \< 90.
- Diagnosis of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), Parkinson disease dementia (PDD), Parkinson disease with Mild Cognitive Impairment (PD-MCI), Mild Cognitive Impairment with Lewy bodies (MCI-LB).
- DLB participants must fulfill criteria for clinically probable DLB based on the 2017 4th consensus report of the DLB consortium.
- PDD participants must meet criteria for clinically probable PD according to the MDS Clinical Diagnostic Criteria for Parkinson's Disease and must also meet criteria for probable PDD based on the 2007 Movement Disorders Society clinical diagnostic criteria.
- PD-MCI participants must meet criteria for clinically probable PD according to the MDS Clinical Diagnostic Criteria for Parkinson's Disease and meet criteria for Mild Cognitive Impairment on cognitive testing at screening.
- MCI-LB participants with must meet established research criteria.
- Capacity to provide informed consent or, if unable, availability of a legally authorized representative or guardian who can provide informed consent.
- Availability of informant (for participants meeting criteria for dementia).
- Ability and willingness to comply with the study-related procedures.
- Fluent in spoken and written English (due to cognitive testing)
- Completed Aim 1.
- Clinical diagnosis of LBD (DLB or PDD) with CF.
- Not taking a cholinesterase inhibitor and has not taken a cholinesterase inhibitor in the previous 90 days.
- Ability and willingness to comply with the ChEI Cohort procedures (including galantamine administration), or a caregiver willing and able to ensure compliance.
- Arm 3 (Healthy Controls)
- Age range: 50 ≤ age \< 90.
- Healthy controls should not have any known neurologic conditions that could interfere with study procedures or results.
- Capacity to provide informed consent or, if unable, availability of a legally authorized representative or guardian who can provide informed consent.
- Availability of informant (for participants meeting criteria for dementia).
- Ability and willingness to comply with the study-related procedures.
- Fluent in spoken and written English (due to cognitive testing).
Exclusion Criteria22
- Arm 1
- History of cognitive disorder or psychiatric disorder other than that related to dementia with Lewy bodies or Parkinson disease dementia.
- History of deep brain stimulation or any neurosurgical procedure.
- History of structural brain disease or known significant cerebrovascular disease.
- History of seizures or epilepsy and/or use of sodium channel blockers, i.e. carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine, phenytoin, topiramate, lamotrigine, felbamate, zonisamide, rufinamide, lacosamide, eslicarbazepine, and valproate.
- Greater than two alcoholic drinks per day for men and one per day for women.
- Regular use of benzodiazepines or barbiturates. (If benzodiazepines are taken as needed only, these medications cannot be taken within 5 half-lives of screening visit or between screening visit and EEG.)
- Severe dementia (based on PI assessment of subject dependence level for instrumental activities of daily living)
- Any contraindication to brain MRI.
- Any medical condition that would interfere with ability to complete all study procedures.
- Participants must not be pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or father a child for the duration of the study
- Severe hepatic impairment.
- Renal failure.
- Significant bradycardia (\<50 bpm) at screening or history of AV block.
- Any contraindication to galantamine administration based on PI discretion.
- Arm 3 (Healthy Controls)
- No History of cognitive disorder or psychiatric disorder other than that related to dementia with Lewy bodies or Parkinson disease dementia.
- No History of deep brain stimulation or any neurosurgical procedure.
- No History of structural brain disease or known significant cerebrovascular disease.
- No History of seizures or epilepsy and/or use of sodium channel blockers, i.e. carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine, phenytoin, topiramate, lamotrigine, felbamate, zonisamide, rufinamide, lacosamide, eslicarbazepine, and valproate.
- Any medical condition that would interfere with ability to complete all study procedures.
- Participants must not be pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or father a child for the duration of the study
Interventions
Detects phosphorylated alpha synuclein in cutaneous nerve fibrils which has \>95% sensitivity in detecting DLB
Functional MRI used to investigate the network connectivity changes associated with alterations in the cholinergic system. Using this comprehensive methodology to establish cholinergic degeneration's contribution to CF provides a robust framework for future research and therapeutic strategies.
Implementing prolonged EEG monitoring, to capture dynamic changes in neural activity associated with CF. The methods are designed avoid the limitations identified in a systematic review of EEG studies in DLB, as will use quantitative analysis of EEG, uniformly apply diagnostic criteria, and consider the confounding effects of medications. Concurrent evaluation of PVT performance and EEG This dual assessment will correlate cognitive and neurophysiological dynamics in real-time, providing a more holistic understanding of CF over time and the functional brain activity that underlies them. Temporal integration of PVT with EEG data collection will enable the identity of specific correlates of CF.
A blood sample will be collected and sent for processing by C2N Diagnostics for the detection of Aβ42/40 and p-tau217 via mass spectrometry, a method shown to be highly accurate for predicting amyloid positivity on PET (AUC=0.94). Exploratory Biomarkers: The additional blood sample will be used for analysis of exploratory biomarkers and future research. A total of up to 20mL of blood will be taken.
20 participants from the arm 1. Participants will take 1 capsule daily of galantamine 8mg ER for 4 weeks and then increase to 2 capsules daily of galantamine 8mg ER (16mg) for 4 weeks. This titration will mitigate potential for cholinergic side effects. At 2 weeks, 4 weeks and 6 weeks of the treatment period, safety and compliance will be assessed during phone call visits. Any adverse event rated as Grade 2 or greater according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) v5.0 and that is definitely or possibly attributable to the study drug will result in study drug withdrawal or dose reduction.
Locations(1)
View Full Details on ClinicalTrials.gov
For the most up-to-date information, visit the official listing.
NCT07284290