View clinical trials related to Epilepsy.
Filter by:This study is being done to help scientists learn about the use of a device called an atomic magnetometer. The device uses sensors called optically-pumped magnetometers (OPM) which function at room temperature. This research will compare the non-invasive brain imaging application of the OPM sensors to the present SQUID-based cryogenic sensor technique used in conventional Magnetoencephalography (MEG). This study is being conducted in conjunction with the University of Colorado Boulder's Mechanical Engineering Department.
The investigators hypothesize that the participants will be satisfied with artificial-intelligence wristband Embrace
Epilepsy is a chronic condition that requires consistent follow-up aimed at seizure control, surveillance of comorbidities, monitoring of antiepileptic drugs (AED) levels and side effects. Patients may encounter difficulties to be assessed adequately and the disease burden is increased by the need for travelling across the country for medical consultations. Driving restrictions are a further limit to access specialized Centers able to provide an integrated approach focused on patient needs. Telemedicine (TM) offers an invaluable support to patient follow-up, joining the sparse distribution of patients in the country with the prompt availability of a team of experts. The project assesses, through a randomized controlled trial, the non-inferiority of TM in monitoring seizure control compared to usual (face-to-face) care. This approach, coupled with a new self home-sampling method for the measurement of AED levels, will reduce health care costs and simplify patients management.
The management of patients with epilepsy is focused on controlling seizures, avoiding treatment side effects, and restoring quality of life. However, about 30% of people are antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) resistance epilepsy after the adequate trials of two AEDs treatment. Genetic factors may contribute to the high interindividual variability in response or adverse effects (such as weight gain and altered lipid profiles) to AEDs. What's more, previous observational studies indicated that vitamin deficiency, such as vitamin B6, is common in patients with epilepsy due to epilepsy itself, AEDs use, or both. Therefore, investigators aim to (1) evaluate the impact of genetic variants on AED and multi-vitamins supplementation in epilepsy, and (2) establish the pharmacogenomics knowledge base of AED and multi-vitamins supplementation on clinical effectiveness in patients with epilepsy.
Resting-state functional MRI (r-fMRI) has emerged in recent years to analyze resting networks. It allows, without active participation of the patients, to identify and analyze the different functional brain networks. The analysis of r-fMRI can be done thanks to the graph theory, which is based on the based on the calculation of quantifiable parameters applied to the functional network studied, making it possible to assess its effectiveness. To the knowledge of the investigators, no study has used graph theory applied to r-fMRI data in order to obtain parameters useful for the useful parameters for the individual prognosis of children who have to be operation for drug-resistant lesional epilepsy.
In the current study, the investigators will examine the extent of subclinical epileptic activity in patients with Alzheimer's disease and patients with Lewy body dementia as compared to healthy elderly controls. The participants will wear a new device called "ear-EEG", which makes it possible to record EEG for longer periods of time while at home. Furthermore, the investigators want to investigate whether there is an association between subclinical epileptic activity and the cerebral blood flow as measured with functional MRI.
Methylphenidate (MPH) is a stimulant, FDA-approved for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It is unknown, however, if stimulants would be of benefit for memory and thinking problems due to epilepsy. In this study, participants will be assigned randomly (i.e., by flip of a coin), to a group that takes MPH and a group that takes a placebo (sugar pill). Participants will not know the group to which they have been assigned. Tests of attention and memory will be completed before taking the study pills and at Week 8. All participants will then have the option of taking MPH for the next two months, and attention and memory will be tested again at Week 16. The study will determine whether methylphenidate is helpful for the treatment of attention and memory problems in adults with epilepsy, and whether the medication is safe and beneficial when taken over an extended time period.
Epilepsy is a disorder of the brain which is associated with disabling seizures and affects 100,000 people under 25. Many children with epilepsy also have a learning disability or problems with development. Although better outcomes occur in children who are successfully treated early for their epilepsy, 25% continue to have seizures despite best medical treatment. One potential treatment is a neurosurgical operation to remove parts of the brain that generate seizures. A proportion of these children have electrodes inserted into their brains as part of their clinical assessment, termed stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG), to help localise these regions. Subsequent surgery is not always successful - up to 40% of children will have ongoing seizures 5 years after surgery. The planning of where to place SEEG electrodes relies on experts (neurologists, neurophysiologists and neurosurgeons) using information from multiple sources, which are used to generate hypotheses about where the seizures are coming from. The main components are the patient's magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan and video-electroencephalography (EEG) recordings during seizures. Using this information, between 5-18 electrodes are implanted and the recordings continue for 5-15 days in hospital. A focus is identified in about 75% of cases which means that the focus is sometimes missed. This prospective single arm pilot study aims to assess a new automated lesion detection algorithm, MELD, designed to identify focal cortical dysplasias (the most common pathology associated with focal epilepsy in children) on otherwise 'normal' MRI scans. The investigators will assess whether MELD can be used to improve the targeting of abnormalities in children undergoing SEEG recording at Great Ormond Street Hospital
The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation in the management of seizures in subjects with focal refractory epilepsy.
Benign epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (BECTS) is the most common pediatric epilepsy syndrome. Affected children typically have a mild seizure disorder, but yet have moderate difficulties with language, learning and attention that impact quality of life more than the seizures. Separate from the seizures, these children have very frequent abnormal activity in their brain known as interictal epileptiform discharges (IEDs, or spikes), which physicians currently do not treat. These IEDs arise near the motor cortex, a region in the brain that controls movement. In this study, the investigators will use a form of non-invasive brain stimulation called transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to determine the impact of IEDs on brain regions important for language to investigate: (1) if treatment of IEDs could improve language; and (2) if brain stimulation may be a treatment option for children with epilepsy. Participating children will wear electroencephalogram (EEG) caps to measure brain activity. The investigators will use TMS to stimulate the brain region where the IEDs originate to measure how this region is connected to other brain regions. Children will then receive a special form of TMS called repetitive TMS (rTMS) that briefly reduces brain excitability. The study will measure if IEDs decrease and if brain connectivity changes after rTMS is applied. The investigators hypothesize that the IEDs cause language problems by increasing connectivity between the motor cortex and language regions. The investigators further hypothesize that rTMS will reduce the frequency of IEDs and also reduce connectivity between the motor and language region