Can a Parkinson's drug boost brain function in depressed seniors?

NCT ID NCT04469959

Completed Disease control Sponsor: Vanderbilt University Medical Center Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Aug 07, 2026 · Updated 3 times

Summary

This study tested whether levodopa, a drug used for Parkinson's disease, can improve thinking speed, walking, and mood in older adults with depression. Researchers gave 79 participants either levodopa or a placebo for three weeks. The goal was to see if boosting dopamine could help with the mental and physical slowing often seen in late-life depression.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: Levodopa (carbidopa/levodopa, also known as Sinemet)
What this could lead to: If it works, this could point toward a treatment that improves thinking speed and mobility in older adults with depression.
What could go wrong: This is a small, early-phase trial with only 79 participants. The treatment is short-term, and benefits may not last or apply to everyone. Levodopa can cause side effects like nausea or dizziness.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Cognitive Dysfunction depressive disorder Depressive Disorder, Treatment-Resistant dysthymic disorder major depressive disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

COGNITIVE DECLINE DEPRESSIVE DISORDER, TREATMENT-RESISTANT GAIT IMPAIRMENT LATE LIFE DEPRESSION LEVODOPA

Contacts and locations

Locations

University of Pittsburgh Medical Center

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15213, United States
Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital

Nashville, Tennessee, 37212, United States

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