View clinical trials related to Epilepsy.
Filter by:This study examines the relationship between a cerebral hemisphere and control of muscles on the same side of the body (ipsilateral control). One good way to study this relationship is to record electroencephalogram (EEG) activity directly from the cortical surface. Because patients with epilepsy who are surgical candidates are already undergoing monitoring with subdural and/or depth electrodes, they present an opportunity to study ipsilateral control. Studying the electrocorticographic (ECoG) activity associated with simple voluntary movement in such patients would not disturb ongoing monitoring of nearby areas of the brain, nor would it endanger the patients. Ten patients, who may be children or adults, will be recruited for this study. Brain activity will be measured while they move the corner of their mouth and their fingers, wrists, arms, and feet. The baseline measurements will be done with scalp electrodes. Once subdural electrodes have been placed, a second set of measurements will be done. Surface EMG electrodes will be placed on the muscles whose movements are being tested. The tests will be done on no more than 3 separate days, in sessions no longer than 2 hours, for each patient.
To compare seizure frequency in patients with refactory partial seizures (with or without generalization) who are taking Talampanel versus placebo as an add-on therapy to other licensed concomitant antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) and to determine the safety of Talampanel in this group of patients.
The purpose of this investigation was to determine if cyclic adjunctive progesterone supplement is superior to placebo in the treatment of intractable seizures in women with and without catamenial epilepsy.
The goal of this study is to evaluate the effect of synthetic hormone replacement therapy on anti-seizure medication levels, menopausal symptom relief, and seizure frequency and safety in menopausal women with epilepsy.
To define the benefits of antidepressant treatment or cognitive behavior therapy on mood, function, and quality of life in persons with depression and refractory epilepsy.
This study will collect brain tissue samples for research purposes from patients undergoing surgery to treat epilepsy. The standard surgical procedure for medically intractable epilepsy i.e., epilepsy that cannot be controlled with medicine requires removal of more brain tissue than is needed for diagnostic study. This extra tissue, which would otherwise be discarded, will be used for research purposes. In addition, a blood vessel in the scalp, called the superficial temporal artery, is also normally cut during surgery, and a piece of this vessel will be taken for research use. Patients 4 years of age or older who undergo surgery for medically intractable epilepsy may be eligible for this study. Brain tissue collected under this protocol will be used for studies of brain cells in other diseases and of serotonin receptors. Any remaining brain tissue will be frozen for use in future research. The superficial temporal artery will be used for comparison with carotid arteries (a neck artery that supplies the brain) from patients with blockage of this blood vessel.
The purpose of this study is to determine if antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) differ in their neurodevelopmental effects. Specifically, do the children of the women with epilepsy differ in their behavioral and cognitive development depending on which AED their mother takes during pregnancy?
This protocol has three purposes: 1) to screen patients with seizures for participation in research studies of NINDS s Clinical Epilepsy Section (CES), 2) to follow the natural course of seizure disorders, and 3) to train CES fellows in evaluating and treating epilepsy. Only standard diagnostic tests and treatments will be used in this study. Patients of any age with seizures who are referred to CES may participate in this study. At the end of the study, patients may be discharged to the care of their referring physician, offered participation in another NINDS research protocol, or followed for teaching purposes. Participants will undergo standard diagnostic procedures used to determine the type of their seizures, what part of the brain they are coming from, what is causing them, and whether standard drug treatments can help them. These may include some or all of the following: - Physical and neurological examination - Neuropsychological tests tests of learning and memory - Electroencephalography (EEG) brain wave recording - Evoked potentials tests of nerve reactions to lights and sounds - Polysomnography simultaneous recordings of brain waves, breathing and eye movements - Video-EEG monitoring simultaneous recording of seizures using a video camera and brain waves - Video-EEG monitoring with extra electrodes to record muscle activity, breathing and eye movements for analyzing sleep patterns - Imaging studies, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) scans to examine the structure and function of the brain - Frequent blood tests to measure blood levels of anti-seizure drugs
OBJECTIVES: I. Determine the chromosomal regions that contain genes that raise the risk of epilepsy in families by performing genetic linkage analysis of idiopathic/cryptogenic epilepsy.
This study will examine the safety and effectiveness of infusing a chemical called muscimol into the brain to control seizures in patients with intractable epilepsy (frequent seizures that persist despite therapy). Muscimol, which is similar to a naturally occurring brain chemical called GABA, has been shown to reduce seizures in rats. After the infusion study, patients will undergo a standard surgical procedure for controlling seizures. Patients 18 years of age or older with intractable epilepsy may be eligible for this study. Before entering protocol 00-N-0158, candidates will be screened under protocol 01-N-0139, Evaluation and Treatment of Patients with Epilepsy, with a medical history, physical and neurologic examination, chest X-ray, electrocardiogram, blood and urine tests, electroencephalographic (EEG) monitoring and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the head. Patients enrolled in this study will have the following procedures: 1. Computerized tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the head to guide catheter/electrode placement (see #2). 2. Depth catheter/electrode placement into the presumed location of the seizure focus (the part of the brain where the seizures originate) - A small hole is drilled through the skull. A depth electrode with a hole in the center of the tubing is passed through the brain into the structures usually involved in intractable epilepsy. MRI will be done to check electrode placement. Video-EEG monitoring will continue for 5 days for this part of the study. Patients will be tested for their ability to understand and produce speech, see normally, move their arms and legs, distinguish sharp and dull objects, and put pegs in a pegboard. They will be questioned about headache, weakness, numbness or sleepiness. The electrode will be left in place for muscimol infusion (see #3). 3. Muscimol infusion - Into the seizure focus, patients will be given two infusions-one of saline (salt water) alone and one of muscimol diluted in saline. Each infusion will be given over a period of one-half to 5 1/2 days, infused at the rate of 0.1 ml (1/50th of a teaspoon) per hour. During the infusions video-EEG recordings will continue and patients will be interviewed and examined as described in #2 above). 4. Blood testing - About 2 tablespoons of blood will be drawn daily during the testing period and for the first 2 days after surgery (see #5). 5. Surgery - Temporal lobectomy or topectomy (removal of a small, specific area of brain tissue) is the standard surgical treatment for medically intractable epilepsy whose seizure focus is not in a critical brain region, such as an area that controls language, movement, or sensation. If the patient's seizures arise from one of these areas, an alternative procedure called multiple subpial transection will be offered. In this procedure, vertical cuts are made in the seizure focus to prevent neurons (nerve cells that transmit electrical impulses) in the focus from spreading the seizure to the rest of the brain. 6. Surgery follow-up - Patients will be monitored in the surgical intensive care unit for 24 to 48 hours and then in the NINDS nursing unit for 4 to 8 days before being discharged to home. Another visit in the NINDS outpatient clinic will be scheduled for 6-12 weeks after surgery.