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OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT01873729

An Open-Label Study of Naltrexone in Adults With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

The primary aim of this study is to assess whether naltrexone as a monotherapy is effective in treating Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in adults. Medications that increase dopamine are often effective in treating ADHD in adults. Since naltrexone is a kappa opioid receptor antagonist, it increases dopamine in the brain.

We predict that naltrexone as a monotherapy will be effective for ADHD symptoms in adults with ADHD.

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Key information

Age range

18 year–55 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Phase 4

Primary location

Massachusetts General Hospital

Boston, Massachusetts, 02114, United States

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Male and female outpatients 18-55 years of age.
  • Diagnosis of ADHD, by DSM-IV by clinical evaluation by an expert clinician.
  • Subjects treated for anxiety disorders and depression who are on a stable medication regimen for at least one month, and who have a disorder-specific CGI-Severity score ≤ 3 (mildly ill) and who have a score on the Hamilton-Depression and Hamilton-Anxiety rating scales below 15 (mild range).

Exclusion criteria

  • Any clinically unstable psychiatric conditions including any history of psychosis or mania, suicidality, sociopathy, criminality, or delinquency.
  • Current (last 3 months) substance use disorders (alcohol or drugs),
  • Medical condition or treatment that will either jeopardize subject safety or affect the scientific merit of the study including cardiovascular disease, current untreated hypertension, history of renal or hepatic impairment, or a condition that will or may require treatment with opioid analgesics.
  • Clinically significant abnormal baseline laboratory LFT's, which is defined as LFT's greater than the ULN.
  • Mental retardation (IQ < 80).
  • Organic brain disorders including delirium, dementia, seizures, stroke, neurosurgery, and head trauma with loss of consciousness.
  • Pregnant or nursing females.
  • Subjects with current adequate treatment for ADHD.
  • Current treatment with medication for ADHD.
  • Any other concomitant medication with primarily central nervous system activity other than specified in the protocol (a stable and effective treatment regimen of an SSRI or benzodiazepine is permitted per clinical review.)
  • A Clinical Global Impression (CGI) of 7 (among the most extremely ill patients) at the screening visit is exclusionary, and any subject who presents a CGI-S of 7 at any point during the study will be removed from participation.
  • Subjects presenting with a CGI-Severity score of 6 (severely ill) at two consecutive visits after week 2 will be dropped from the study (i.e. A subject with a CGI of 6 at his/her week 3 visit and at week 4 visit will be dropped from the study at the week 4 visit). Subjects who are dropped for severe or worsening symptoms after exposure to the study medication will receive free follow up care as described in the detailed protocol and protocol summary.
  • Non-English speaking subjects

Treatment and study plan

Naltrexone

Drug

Adults with ADHD

Primary outcomes

  1. Change in Adult Investigator Symptom Rating Scale (AISRS) Scores From Baseline

    Time frame: Baseline and Six weeks

    The Adult Investigator Symptom Rating Scale (AISRS) is an 18-item clinician rating scale to evaluate individual ADHD symptoms on a scale of 0 (none) to 3 (severe). The total sum ranges from 0 (no ADHD symptoms) to 54 (extremely severe ADHD symptoms).

Secondary outcomes

  1. Clinical Global Impression (CGI)

    Time frame: Six weeks

    The Clinical Global Impression (CGI) scale allows the clinician to rate the severity of illness, change over time, and efficacy of medication, taking into account the patient's clinical condition and the severity of side effects. The CGI subscales include the Clinical Global Severity of ADHD (CGI-S) which is scored on a 7 point scale (1=not ill, 7=extremely ill) and the Clinical Global Improvement of ADHD (CGI-I) which is also scored on a 7 point scale (1=very much improved, 7=very much worse). The number of subjects with CGI-Improvement scores less than or equal to 2 (very much improved) at the end of the study is reported.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Massachusetts General Hospital

Other

Registry information

Important dates

Study start
2013
Primary completion
2016
Study completion
2016
First posted
Jun 10, 2013
Registry last updated
Jan 13, 2017

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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