Could a blood pressure drug curb impulsive behaviors in Parkinson's?
NCT ID NCT03552068
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026
Summary
This pilot study tested whether clonidine, a drug used for high blood pressure, can reduce impulse control disorders (like gambling or overeating) in people with Parkinson's disease. 38 participants received either clonidine or a placebo for 8 weeks. The study measured changes in impulsive behavior using a special questionnaire. It's an early, small trial to see if this approach is worth further study.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Clonidine
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a new treatment for impulse control problems in Parkinson's disease.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very small pilot study (38 people) and only a proof of concept. Clonidine is a blood pressure drug, so it may cause side effects like low blood pressure or drowsiness, and it may not help 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
-
38 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
-
May 2019
- Finished
-
Dec 2021
- 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
-
30 to 80 years
- 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 Hide 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: * Patients with PD according to MDS (movement disorders society) criteria for at least one year * Patients with ICD with a QUIP-RS score ≥10 and/or at least one of the sub-scores in the following range: Pathological gambling between \>6 and 12; Pathological gambling between \>8 and 12; Hypersexuality between \> 8 and 12; Eating between \> 7 and 12. The use of "lower" margins will guarantee that patients will present behavioral disturbances severe enough to justify clonidine treatment. On the other hand, the use of "upper" margins will guarantee that the patients included in the trial will not suffer from ICD too severe to ethically participate to a placebo controlled study. * Weight between 40 and 95kg * Stable antiparkinsonian medication since at least 2 months before randomization and medication supposed to remain stable during the study * ICD onset after Parkinson's disease onset and after initiation of dopaminergic drugs * No signs of dementia (Montreal Cognitive Assessment, MOCA \>20); * No lactose intolerance which may compromise the tolerance of the placebo; * Patients with health insurance * Patients without judicial protection measure except directly linked to ICD * For women of childbearing potential, an effective contraception method for at least 2 months before randomization (as implants or oral oestro-progestative contraceptives), condom use for men during the study. βHCG dosage in urine should be negative at randomization for women. Exclusion Criteria: Patients with major depression (BDI \>19); * Patients with another parkinsonian syndrome (Parkinson "plus" or vascular Parkinsonism) * Orthostatic hypotension * Patients with swallowing disorders that may prevent oral medication, * Contraindication to clonidine: Hypersensibility; Severe bradyarythmia due to a cardiac disease * Patients receiving a treatment potentially interacting with clonidine * Patients with Raynaud's disease or obliterating thromboangiitis * Patients With Heart failure or severe coronary artery disease * Patients with a drug treatment having a potential interaction with clonidine (see list, appendix 2); * Presence of renal failure (Cockcroft-Gault at inclusion visit\<30 ml/min/1,73m2); * Patients with a present or past history of addiction (apart ICD) or with a substance abuse (except Tabaco) * Pregnant or lactating women * Already participating in another biomedical research project
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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.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Hospices Civils de Lyon
Bron, France
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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