TREAT-SC: Early, Short Course Oral Dexamethasone for the Treatment of Sydenham Chorea in Children

Launched by STARSHIP CHILD HEALTH, TE TOKA TUMAI AUCKLAND · Feb 6, 2024

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

The TREAT-SC trial is studying whether a short three-day treatment with the oral steroid medication dexamethasone can help improve recovery for children with Sydenham's chorea, a movement disorder caused by an immune response to a bacterial infection. This condition affects about 12% of children with rheumatic fever and can cause uncontrollable movements and problems with mood and focus. The trial aims to see if this medication can safely reduce these symptoms and support both physical and mental recovery in children aged 4 to 17 years old.

To participate in the trial, children must have been diagnosed with Sydenham's chorea by a doctor and not have received steroids or certain other treatments recently. The study will include 80 participants from Australia and New Zealand, and it will be conducted in a way that neither the participants nor the researchers know who is receiving the medication and who is receiving a placebo (a harmless pill with no active ingredients) to ensure unbiased results. This trial is important because there are currently no clear guidelines for treating Sydenham's chorea, and it could lead to better care for children facing this condition.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • 1. Sydenham's chorea of any severity diagnosed by a paediatrician or neurologist based on national ARF guidelines
• • 2. Child or adolescents aged 4 years to \<18 years of age
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • 1. Administered steroids or intravenous immunoglobulin since onset of the current Sydenham's chorea episode
• • 2. Evidence of concomitant severe, acute infection
• • 3. History of hypersensitivity to dexamethasone or its excipients
• • 4. Pregnancy
• • 5. Confirmed exposure of an unimmunised child to measles, mumps, rubella or chickenpox within the previous four weeks
• • 6. Receipt of a live vaccine within the previous four weeks
• • 7. Medical condition or treatment with medication which in the opinion of the trial investigators would make the child unsuitable for the trial