Levodopa and Exercise for Older Adults With Depression and Psychomotor Slowing
Status:
Recruiting
Trial end date:
2027-03-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
In this new research study, 80 adults aged > 60 years with a significant depressive disorder
and slowed processing and/or gait speed will be randomized to receive levodopa (L-DOPA; which
the Candidate has previously shown to increase psychomotor speed and decrease depressive
symptoms in older adults), aerobic exercise (itself an effective antidepressant treatment as
monotherapy), or their combination in a 2x2 design incorporating placebo and a
stretching/toning control. Participants will be evaluated before and after this 12-week
duration study across cognitive domains, psychiatric symptoms, gait kinematics and mobility,
and task-based magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) focused on effort-based decision making and
reward processing. Data from this study will contribute toward the development of improved
treatment and prevention strategies to maximize the functioning and active healthspan of
older adults with neuropsychiatric disorders.
Phase:
Phase 4
Details
Lead Sponsor:
New York State Psychiatric Institute
Collaborators:
Columbia University National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Treatments:
Carbidopa Carbidopa, levodopa drug combination Levodopa