View clinical trials related to Seizures.
Filter by:Patients in this study will undergo PET scans (a type of nuclear imaging test) to look for abnormalities in certain brain proteins associated with seizures. Studies in animals have shown that serotonin-a chemical messenger produced by the body-attaches to proteins on brain cells called 5HT1A receptors and changes them in some way that may help control seizures. There is little information on these changes, however. A new compound that is highly sensitive to 5HT1A, will be used in PET imaging to measure the level of activity of these receptors and try to detect abnormalities. Changes in receptor activity may help determine where in the brain the seizures are originating. Additional PET scans will be done to measure the amount of blood flow to the brain and the rate at which the brain uses glucose-a sugar that is the brain's main fuel. Blood flow measurement is used to calculate the distribution of serotonin receptors, and glucose use helps determine how seizures affect brain function. The information gained from the study will be used to try to help guide the patient's therapy and determine if surgery might be beneficial in controlling the patient's seizures.
This study will examine what causes seizures in patients with cysticercosis (pork tapeworm infection). A better understanding of this could lead to improved methods of controlling or preventing seizures. In humans, the pork tapeworm (Taenia solium) lives in the small intestine. The parasite's microscopic eggs travel around the body-including to the brain-where they develop into cysts. Usually, the cysts don't cause symptoms until they die. Then, they provoke an inflammatory reaction that irritates the brain, causing seizures and other symptoms. The inflammation eventually goes away, but the dead cysts remain. Calcium deposits often form where the cysts are. Some of the calcified cysts develop swelling around them that seem to be associated with the development of seizures. This study will explore how and why these dead, calcified cysts continue to cause seizures. In so doing, it will try to determine: 1) the best diagnostic imaging method for detecting swelling around the cysts; 2) how often swelling occurs; and 3) what makes some cysts prone to swelling and related seizure activity, while others are not. Patients with cysticercosis who have had seizures or who have known or possible swelling around calcified cysts will be studied with various tests, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT) scans, electroencephalography (EEG), blood tests, and possibly lumbar puncture. Patients will be studied for two cycles of seizures (during active and quiet periods) or a maximum 4 years.
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive technique that can be used to stimulate brain activity and gather information about brain function. It is very useful when studying the areas of the brain related to motor activity (motor cortex, corticospinal tract, and corpus callosum). Epilepsy is a condition associated with seizures as a result of an over excitable cerebral cortex. Despite the introduction of several new antiepileptic medications, less than half of the patients diagnosed with partial epilepsy are well controlled. However, studies have shown that non-invasive stimulation of the brain can decrease the excitability of the cerebral cortex. Researchers are interested in the potential therapeutic effects of TMS on patients with epilepsy that have responded poorly to standard medication. This study will use TMS to decrease the excitability of the areas of the brain responsible for seizures.
Researchers are interested in studying if magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is practical for locating the areas of the brain associated with language in children with epilepsy. When a region of the brain is active, it uses more fuel in the form of oxygen and sugar (glucose). As the brain uses more fuel it produces more waste products, carbon dioxide and water. Blood carries fuel to the brain and waste products away from the brain. As brain activity increases blood flow to and from the area of activity increases also. Patients participating in the study will be asked to perform tasks designed to test language skills while undergoing an MRI to detect areas of the brain using oxygen and receiving blood flow.
This study is designed to use positron emission tomography to measure brain energy use. Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is a technique used to investigate the functional activity of the brain. The PET technique allows doctors to study the normal processes of the brain (central nervous system) of normal individuals and patients with neurologic illnesses without physical / structural damage to the brain. When a region of the brain is active, it uses more fuel in the form of oxygen and sugar (glucose). As the brain uses more fuel it produces more waste products, carbon dioxide and water. Blood carries fuel to the brain and waste products away from the brain. As brain activity increases blood flow to and from the area of activity increases also. Researchers can label a sugar with a small radioactive molecule called FDG (fluorodeoxyglucose). As areas of the brain use more sugar the PET scan will detect the FDG and show the areas of the brain that are active. By using this technique researchers hope to answer the following questions; 4. Are changes in brain energy use (metabolism) present early in the course of epilepsy 5. Do changes in brain metabolism match the severity of patient's seizures 6. Do changes in metabolism occur over time or in response to drug therapy
This study will allow researchers to use various types of tests to evaluate cognitive and sensory functions. These tests, referred to as "batteries" will evaluate attention, executive functions, general intellectual functioning, language, memory, motor functions, orientation, personality, selected sensory and perceptual functions, vigilance (alertness), and visual-spatial functions. Children and adult patient will receive different test batteries. The goals of this research study are to; 1. Create descriptions based on the performance of each patient on the test batteries. Then use this information to relate patient behavior to their neurophysiological, neuroradiological, and biochemical descriptions. 2. Define subgroups of patients based on their neurobehavior in order to decrease the variability of psychiatric diagnoses, treatments, and prognoses.
This study is designed to evaluate patients with uncontrolled seizures. Seizures can be associated with and monitored by abnormal electrical activity in the brain. In this study researchers will use video-electroencephalography (EEG) to monitor patients with uncontrolled or suspected seizures. EEG works by measuring electrical activity in different areas of the brain. The video-EEG allows researchers to examine changes in the EEG along with the clinical features of seizures as they occur. In addition to monitoring electrical activity of the brain, researchers will take frequent antiepileptic drug blood levels. These measures will allow researchers to learn more about how each drug is absorbed and metabolized in the body. The information collected in the study will be used to place patients into other scientific studies testing new therapies for epilepsy.