Effect of Levodopa on Human Multifocal Electroretinogram

Retinal Diseases Clinical Trial

Official title:

Effect of Levodopa on Human Multifocal Electroretinogram

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT00812760
• Other study ID #: OPHT-220501
• Status: Completed
• Phase: Phase 4
• First received: December 18, 2008
• Last updated: December 19, 2008
• Start date: October 2001
• Est. completion date: October 2003

Study information

• Verified date: December 2008
• Source: Medical University of Vienna
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Health authority: Austria: Agency for Health and Food Safety
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

It is known that dopamine is a functional neuromodulator at several levels of the visual system. Dopamine seems to be involved in the organization of the ganglion cell and the bipolar cell receptive fields and modulation of physiological activity of photoreceptors. There is evidence for the functional significance of dopaminergic modulation of visual sensitivity in humans which confirms the hypothesis that dopamine plays an important role in retinal light adaptation as well as in motion and contrast sensitivity function. The electrophysiological effects of dopamine, various dopamine antagonist and levodopa in animals and humans have been investigated by means of visual evoked potentials and electroretinograms. The multifocal ERG technique, developed by Sutter et al. allows a rapid, simultaneous recording of focal ERGs from multiple retinal locations. Although this technique is relatively new, it has already provided insights into the mechanisms of retinal diseases (e.g. involvement of visual system in Parkinson disease), but until now there is no data on influence of dopaminergic substances on mERG.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 20
• Est. completion date: October 2003
• Est. primary completion date: October 2003
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: Male
• Age group: 19 Years to 35 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Men aged between 19 and 35 years, nonsmokers

• Body mass index between 15th and 85th percentile

• Normal findings in the medical history and physical examination unless the investigator considers an abnormality to be clinically irrelevant

• Normal laboratory values unless the investigator considers an abnormality to be clinically irrelevant

• Normal ophthalmic findings, ametropia < 3 Dpt

Exclusion Criteria:

• Regular use of medication, abuse of alcoholic beverages, participation in a clinical trial in the 3 weeks preceding the study

• Treatment in the previous 3 weeks with any drug

• Symptoms of a clinically relevant illness in the 3 weeks before the first study day

• History of hypersensitivity to the trial drug or to drugs with a similar chemical structure

• History or presence of gastrointestinal, liver or kidney disease, or other conditions known to interfere with, distribution, metabolism or excretion of study drugs

• Blood donation during the previous 3 weeks

Study Design

Allocation: Randomized, Endpoint Classification: Safety/Efficacy Study, Intervention Model: Crossover Assignment, Masking: Double Blind (Subject, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor), Primary Purpose: Treatment

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Retinal Diseases

Intervention

Drug:
• levodopa
1 tablet of 200 mg levodopa plus 50 mg benserazide

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
Austria	Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna	Vienna

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Medical University of Vienna

Country where clinical trial is conducted

Austria, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Retinal activity (mERG amplitude)		5 measurements on both study days	No
Secondary	Retinal activity (mERG latency)		5 measurements on both study days	No
Secondary	Dopamine and levodopa plasma levels		on both study days	No