Could an ALS drug clear the fog of chemo brain?

NCT ID NCT06580002

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now This study
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jul 14, 2026 · Last updated Jul 15, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study tests whether riluzole, a drug already used for ALS, can help cancer survivors who struggle with memory, focus, and mental clarity after treatment — a condition called cancer-related cognitive impairment. Researchers will measure changes in a brain protein called BDNF and track thinking skills over time. The trial includes people with various cancers who completed treatment recently or had whole-brain radiation.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
a drug called riluzole, which is typically used for ALS, being repurposed to potentially boost brain function
What this could lead to
If it works, this could point toward a new way to treat 'chemo brain' — the mental fog many cancer survivors experience after treatment.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early pilot study, so results may not be conclusive. Riluzole can cause side effects like liver issues or drowsiness, and it may not improve thinking at all.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Phase 2

Tests whether the treatment actually works, and watches for side effects, in a larger group.

Participants

About 75 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Dec 2024

Expected to finish

Dec 2027

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 years and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: 1. Cohort-specific inclusion for male and female patients. a. Cohort A (no prior cranial radiation) i. Diagnosed with one of the following: * Breast cancer exposed to treatment including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgery and/or other breast cancer interventions. * Non-breast cancer patients exposed to anthracyclines- or platinum-containing chemotherapy within the past 3 years. * Non-breast cancer patients exposed to other anticancer therapies within the past 3 years. b. Cohort B (prior cranial radiation) * Previously received radiotherapy or radiosurgery to the brain for benign, malignant, or metastatic tumors. * Life expectancy \> 6 months 2. Washout from investigational and conventional interventions is up to the discretion of the investigator. Concurrent participation in another intervention is allowable if judged by the Principal Investigator that this would not be scientifically or medically incompatible with this study. 3. ≥18 years of age 4. Perceived by patient or investigator that cognitive function has worsened since receipt of cranial radiation or cancer treatment. 5. Able to provide informed consent. 6. Literacy in English, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, or Spanish, to complete the questionnaires. 7. Patients must agree to complete and be able to complete the questionnaires and computerized assessments used to measure functional outcomes. * Note: Patients who have visual impairment or have degenerative conditions (e.g. Parkinsons's disease, etc.) can participate if they cannot complete computerized assessments, as long as they can still complete the questionnaires with assistance. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Cohort-specific exclusion for male and female patients: 1. Cohort A (no prior cranial radiation) * History of or current presence of primary brain tumors or brain metastases. 2. Cohort B (prior cranial radiation) * Diagnosed with high grade glioma. 2. Unwilling to undergo neuropsychological assessments necessary for the study. 3. Women who are breastfeeding, pregnant or are planning to get pregnant during the study period. Persons of child-bearing potential (POCBP) must have a negative pregnancy test at screening if there is suspicion of pregnancy. a. Female patients who are considered not to be of childbearing potential must have a history of being postmenopausal (with a minimum of 1 year without menses), tubal ligation, or hysterectomy. 4. History of suspected hypersensitivity to riluzole or to any of its excipients. 5. Patients taking or planned to take medications/substances with potential drug-drug interactions: pixantrone, current smoker (defined as having smoked within the last month), abametapir, cannabis, capmatinib, lapatinib, methotrexate, and levoketoconazole. 6. Hepatic impairment as indicated by: AST or ALT ≥ 3x upper limit normal (ULN) 7. Have serious pre-existing medical conditions that, in the judgment of the investigator, would preclude participation in this study.

Get updates

Get notified about this study

Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Brain cancer are added.

Our safety recommendation!

By submitting, you agree to our Terms of use

Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

As listed by the trial registrant

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

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

  1. The study's own enquiry address

    This study publishes an address for enquiries. See it below .

  2. The places running it

    1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.

  3. The official record

    ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

    Open the record ↗

  4. A doctor treating you

    A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.

Contacts and locations

Study contacts

  • Contact

    Email: •••••@•••••

Locations

  • Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California Irvine

    RECRUITING

    Orange, California, 92868, United States

    Contact Email: •••••@•••••

More trials for these conditions

Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.