Antiglucocorticoid Therapy for Cognitive Impairment in Late-life Anxiety Disorders

Completed · Phase 1/Phase 2 · Has a placebo group

Conditions studied: Anxiety Disorders

In brief

This study seeks to develop and test a novel, mechanistic treatment for mitigating cognitive impairment in older adults with anxiety disorders. Anxiety disorders are common, severe, and disabling in older adults. One particularly impairing aspect of late-life anxiety disorders is cognitive impairment: impairments in memory and executive function cause disability, impede treatment response to psychotherapy, may lead to dementia, and are not corrected by standard anti-anxiety treatments. This pilot study will test the glucocorticoid antagonist, mifepristone, for cognitive impairment in late-life anxiety disorders. Mifepristone blocks the effects of elevated cortisol levels on glucocorticoid receptors in the brain; it has been studied preliminarily in various neuropsychiatric disorders, such as psychotic depression and bipolar disorder, with well-documented safety and tolerability.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT01333098

Run by

Washington University School of Medicine

People needed

15

Starts

2012-09-01

Expected to finish

2013-04-01

Last updated by the study team

2020-08-18

Who can join

Age: 60 and older. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Age 65 and older
• Non-demented by clinical evaluation
• Current or partially remitted generalized anxiety disorder or panic disorder
• Currently taking antidepressant treatment with stable dose for at least 8 weeks
• Memory impairment

You may not qualify if…

• Mild to severe dementia
• Diabetes
• Current alcohol or substance abuse
• Current or lifetime psychotic symptoms, bipolar disorder, or eating disorder
• Untreated endocrinologic disease
• Lifetime Cushing's or Addison's disease
• Current cancer
• History of metastatic cancer
• Current use of systemic corticosteroids

Where it is running

• Washington University School of Medicine — St Louis, Missouri, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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