Clinical trial NCT04321889: Efficacy of Defurocumarinized Bergamot in the Treatment of Agitation in Severe Dementia Patients.
Official title: Randomized Double-blind Controlled Trial to Evaluate the Efficacy of Defurocumarinized Bergamot Loaded in a Nanotechnological System for the Release of Essential Oil in the Treatment of Agitation in Severe Dementia Patients.
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: UNKNOWN
Phase: NA
Conditions: Severe Dementia
Stroke
Lead sponsor: S.Anna Rehabilitation Institute
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2020-03-25
Enrollment: 134
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 65
Maximum age (years): 80
Standard ages: OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Intervention model description: Randomized double-blind placebo clinical trial for parallel groups to evaluate the clinical efficacy of defurocumarinized bergamot loaded in a nanotechnological system of essential oil release in the pharmaceutical form of a cream in the treatment of agitation, in patients of both sexes with severe dementia diagnosis. Subjects will be eligible if they meet all inclusion criteria. A total of 134 patients will be enrolled, randomized, in a 1:1 ratio, to treatment with defurocumarinized bergamot loaded in a nanotechnological release system or placebo.
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: This study evaluates the efficacy of defurocumarinized bergamot in the treatment of agitation in severe dementia patients. Bergamot essential oil (BEO), able to modulate the endogenous, peripheral and central opioid system involved in painful states, has developed in models of inflammatory pain and neuropathic pain; it is also effective when administered by inhalation.

Participants in the study will be divided into 2 parallel groups, one treatment group and one placebo, to evaluate the clinical efficacy of defurocumarinized bergamot loaded in a nanotechnological system of essential oil release in the pharmaceutical form of a cream in the treatment of agitation, in in Over-sixty-five-year-old patients of both sexes diagnosed with severe dementia.

Detailed description: According to the World Alzheimer's Report 2018, 50 million people worldwide suffer from dementia and it is estimated that this number will triple by 2050.

Very often people with dementia suffer from comorbidities accompanied by chronic, inflammatory and neuropathic pain, often under-diagnosed through psychological and behavioral symptoms of dementia such as agitation and aggression. The therapy of neuropsychiatric symptoms of dementia is currently based on the use of atypical antipsychotics that are actually present in the short term and may induce important side effects.

This study evaluates the efficacy of defurocumarinized bergamot in the treatment of agitation in severe dementia patients. Bergamot essential oil (BEO), able to modulate the endogenous, peripheral and central opioid system involved in painful states, has developed in models of inflammatory pain and neuropathic pain; it is also effective when administered by inhalation. To solve this problem, this clinical trial will use defurocumarinized bergamot loaded in a nanotechnological system of essential oil release in the pharmaceutical form of an odourless cream indistinguishable from placebo cream.

Participants in the study will be divided into 2 parallel groups, one treatment group and one placebo, to evaluate the clinical efficacy of defurocumarinized bergamot loaded in a nanotechnological system of essential oil release in the pharmaceutical form of a cream in the treatment of agitation, in in Over-sixty-five-year-old patients of both sexes diagnosed with severe dementia.

The rationale of this clinical trial is based on three fundamental points:

1. Preclinical research has proven, beyond any doubt, a powerful analgesic activity of BEO on inflammatory and neuropathic pain;
2. at present the essential oils needed in aromatherapy for agitation management do not show strong analgesic activity, documented by extensive preclinical evidence;
3. clinical trials that have assessed the efficacy of aromatherapy in neuropsychiatric symptoms associated with dementia suffer from the severe lack of a double-blind according to the most rigorous criteria of clinical trial evaluation. To solve this problem, this clinical trial will use defurocumarinized bergamot loaded in a nanotechnological system of essential oil release in the pharmaceutical form of an odourless cream indistinguishable from placebo cream.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Diagnosis of severe dementia by MMSE score\<12;
* Signature of informed consent by a family member/caregiver/support administrator;
* The use of authorised and concomitant therapies for the treatment of agitation is permitted.

Exclusion Criteria:

-Positive remote case history for pre-existing neurological or psychiatric disabling conditions

Primary outcomes:
measure: Treatment of agitation
timeFrame: up to 6 weeks after the end of treatment
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Duration of the effect on agitation
timeFrame: 6 weeks after the end of treatment
measure: clinical efficacy on pain
timeFrame: 6 weeks after the end of treatment
Other outcomes:
Locations:
Study officials:
affiliation: S.Anna Rehabilitation Insitute
name: Paolo Tonin, MD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Scuteri D, Rombola L, Morrone LA, Bagetta G, Sakurada S, Sakurada T, Tonin P, Corasaniti MT. Neuropharmacology of the Neuropsychiatric Symptoms of Dementia and Role of Pain: Essential Oil of Bergamot as a Novel Therapeutic Approach. Int J Mol Sci. 2019 Jul 6;20(13):3327. doi: 10.3390/ijms20133327.
citation: Scuteri D, Morrone LA, Rombola L, Avato PR, Bilia AR, Corasaniti MT, Sakurada S, Sakurada T, Bagetta G. Aromatherapy and Aromatic Plants for the Treatment of Behavioural and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia in Patients with Alzheimer's Disease: Clinical Evidence and Possible Mechanisms. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2017;2017:9416305. doi: 10.1155/2017/9416305. Epub 2017 Mar 30.
citation: Scuteri D, Crudo M, Rombola L, Watanabe C, Mizoguchi H, Sakurada S, Sakurada T, Greco R, Corasaniti MT, Morrone LA, Bagetta G. Antinociceptive effect of inhalation of the essential oil of bergamot in mice. Fitoterapia. 2018 Sep;129:20-24. doi: 10.1016/j.fitote.2018.06.007. Epub 2018 Jun 12.
citation: Sakurada T, Mizoguchi H, Kuwahata H, Katsuyama S, Komatsu T, Morrone LA, Corasaniti MT, Bagetta G, Sakurada S. Intraplantar injection of bergamot essential oil induces peripheral antinociception mediated by opioid mechanism. Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2011 Jan;97(3):436-43. doi: 10.1016/j.pbb.2010.09.020. Epub 2010 Oct 13.
citation: Sakurada T, Kuwahata H, Katsuyama S, Komatsu T, Morrone LA, Corasaniti MT, Bagetta G, Sakurada S. Intraplantar injection of bergamot essential oil into the mouse hindpaw: effects on capsaicin-induced nociceptive behaviors. Int Rev Neurobiol. 2009;85:237-48. doi: 10.1016/S0074-7742(09)85018-6.
citation: Berliocchi L, Russo R, Maiaru M, Levato A, Bagetta G, Corasaniti MT. Autophagy impairment in a mouse model of neuropathic pain. Mol Pain. 2011 Oct 24;7:83. doi: 10.1186/1744-8069-7-83.
citation: Scuteri D, Sakurada S, Sakurada T, Tonin P, Bagetta G, Nicotera P, Corasaniti MT. Requirements for Translation in Clinical Trials of Aromatherapy: The Case of the Essential Oil of Bergamot (BEO) for Management of Agitation in Severe Dementia. Curr Pharm Des. 2022;28(20):1607-1610. doi: 10.2174/1381612828666220509152029.