Social Decision Making in Parkinson's Disease
Condition: Parkinson Disease
MeSH terms: Parkinson Disease
Study type: Interventional
Phase: Phase 1

Summary: 
      Impulsive and compulsive behaviors occur in up to 46% of Parkinson's Disease (PD) patients
      taking dopamine agonist (DAA) medications. While these abnormal social behaviors have been
      studied in other neurodegenerative disorders, the true incidence of social problems, and the
      relationship to dopamine therapy, in PD patients remains unknown. This study is aiming to
      determine if dopamine agonists alter social decision-making and to determine if impaired
      social decision-making relates to dopamine-induced mesolimbic network dysfunction in PD
      patients. The protocol will include a screening visit, and on-DAA visit, and an off-DAA
      visit. For both the on and off DAA visits, participants will continue taking
      Carbidopa-Levodopa, but will withdrawal off of other PD related medications. Both visits will
      include an MRI, fMRI shock task, questionnaires to be filled out by other the participant and
      the caregiver, moral-decision making computer tasks, and the Unified Parkinsons Disease
      Rating Scale (UPDRS) part II and III. For the on-DAA visit, participants will take
      Pramipexole. For the off-DAA visit, participants will receive a placebo. Participants will
      remind blinded to which medication they are receiving that day and will be counterbalanced
      such that all participants will not take the Pramipexole or placebo on the same days.
    

Detailed description: 
      Impulsive and compulsive behaviors occur in up to 46% of Parkinson's Disease (PD) patients
      taking dopamine agonist (DAA) medications. While these abnormal social behaviors have been
      studied in other neurodegenerative disorders, the true incidence of social problems, and the
      relationship to dopamine therapy, in PD patients remains unknown. This study is aiming to
      determine if dopamine agonists alter social decision-making and to determine if impaired
      social decision-making relates to dopamine-induced mesolimbic network dysfunction in PD
      patients. The protocol will include a screening visit, and on-DAA visit, and an off-DAA
      visit. For both the on and off DAA visits, participants will continue taking
      Carbidopa-Levodopa, but will withdrawal off of other PD related medications to reduce
      circulating drugs and residual drug effects. Both visits will include an MRI, fMRI shock
      task, questionnaires to be filled out by other the participant and the caregiver,
      moral-decision making computer tasks, and the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale
      (UPDRS) part II and III. For the on-DAA visit, participants will take Carbidopa-Levodopa 1
      hour before the scan and will take 1mg of Pramipexole 1 hour before the scan. For the off-DAA
      visit, participants will take Carbidopa-Levodopa 1 hour before the scan and will take a
      placebo 1 hour before the scan. Participants will remind blinded to which medication they are
      receiving that day and will be counterbalanced such that all participants will not take the
      Pramipexole or placebo on the same days.
    

Intervention name(s): Pramipexole; Placebo
Intervention type(s): Drug; Drug
Intervention description(s): 1mg of pramipexole; 1mg equivalent of placebo
Intervention MeSH terms: Pramipexole
Allocation: Non-Randomized
Intervention model: Crossover Assignment
Masking: Double (Participant, Care Provider)
Primary purpose: Basic Science
Keywords: Impulsive behavior; Social decision making; Moral decision making; dopamine agonists