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?
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.
OBJECTIVES: I. Determine whether treating head injured patients with valproate sodium will reduce the risk of developing seizures as a result of the head injury. II. Determine the safety of valproate, the appropriate dose, and the effect valproate may have on the recovery of the brain's ability to compute numbers, solve problems, remember information, and control the movement of limbs after head injury.
OBJECTIVES: I. Evaluate the efficacy of surgical resection of an identifiable zone of cortical abnormality versus multiple drug therapy in children with infantile spasms refractory to standard therapy. II. Assess how infantile spasms interfere with development and whether this is partially reversible. III. Determine the predictors of good surgical outcome and whether surgery permanently controls seizures and improves development.