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Creatine supplementation in Huntington's disease: a placebo-controlled pilot trial
P Verbessem1, J Lemiere, B O Eijnde
1Exercise Physiology and Biomechanics Laboratory, Department of Kinesiology, Faculty of Physical Education and Physiotherapy, K.U. Leuven, Belgium.
Neurology
|October 15, 2003
Summary
Creatine supplementation did not improve functional, neuromuscular, or cognitive status in Huntington's disease patients over one year. Declines in UHDRS scores, strength, and fitness occurred regardless of treatment.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Nutritional Science
- Clinical Research
Background:
- Huntington's disease (HD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder.
- Current treatments for HD lack efficacy in halting disease progression.
- Creatine supplementation is known to enhance muscle function in healthy individuals and other neuromuscular conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the efficacy of creatine supplementation in patients with Huntington's disease.
- To assess the impact of creatine on functional, neuromuscular, and cognitive parameters in HD patients.
Main Methods:
- A 1-year, double-blind, placebo-controlled study involving 41 patients with early to moderate-stage Huntington's disease (stages I-III).
- Participants received either 5 g/day of creatine or a placebo.
- Assessments included the Unified Huntington's Disease Rating Scale (UHDRS), isokinetic dynamometry for muscle strength, cardiorespiratory fitness tests, and bimanual coordination tests at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months.
Main Results:
- Functional status (UHDRS checklist), maximal static torque, and peak oxygen uptake declined significantly over the 1-year study period, irrespective of treatment group.
- No significant changes were observed in cognitive functioning, bimanual coordination, or general motor function (UHDRS total motor scale) in either the creatine or placebo group.
Conclusions:
- One year of daily creatine supplementation (5 g/day) did not demonstrate any beneficial effects on functional, neuromuscular, or cognitive status in patients with stage I-III Huntington's disease.
- The findings suggest that creatine supplementation at this dosage is not an effective therapeutic strategy for managing Huntington's disease symptoms or progression.