Active clinical trials for "Epilepsy"

Evaluate the long-term clinical effectiveness and safety of the PINS vagus nerve stimulator to patients with refractory epilepsy.

The purpose of this study is to determine whether omega-3 is effective in the treatment of medically intractable epilepsy as adjunctive therapy.

Drug resistant epilepsy constitutes about one third of all children diagnosed with epilepsy. Although ketogenic diet is being used for drug resistant epilepsy for almost hundred years, its restrictiveness and adverse effects interferes with its compliance. So less restrictive alternatives like Low Glycemic Index Therapy diet is gradually becoming more popular and its effectiveness is well established. Still the restrictiveness of such monotonous diets is one of the most significant issues for long term maintenance of children on dietary therapy. In this study, we are planning to compare the efficacy of daily and intermittent Low Glycemic Index therapy Diet in children aged 1-15 years with drug resistant epilepsy in a open labelled randomized controlled non-inferiority trial. The children in intermittent LGIT arm will receive the dietary therapy for five days of each week, alternating with a liberal diet on the rest of the two days of the week.

The ASK CHILDREN study is intended to aid in future development of various neurologic devices (i.e. neuroprostheses). The ASK CHILDREN study seeks to use study information obtained to identify more efficient strategies in the evaluation and review of neuroprostheses regulated by the Agency.

Clinical randomized controlled observer blinded add-on design. Additionally there will be a non-controlled follow-up phase of the study. Children (Age 4-18 years) with intractable epilepsy, and not eligible for resective surgery will be treated with VNS. Aim of the study: To evaluate tolerability and effectiveness of VNS in children with intractable epilepsy and cognitive and behavioural problems in a controlled study. To evaluate the effect of VNS on the immune system which, in its turn, will lead to changes in the serotonin metabolic pathway To link the therapeutic effect of VNS to changes in the serotonin (5HT) metabolic pathway. In addition the investigators hope to detect some markers of immune and neurotransmitter function that enable us to predict 1) Neuronal cell loss in relation to cognitive decline 2) the response to therapeutic treatment of VNS. Hypothesis: The investigators aim to explore neuronal correlates for cognitive morbidity in children with intractable epilepsy and to relate this to morphologic changes, biochemical markers, and to epilepsy characteristics. Correction of the "stressed" pro-inflammatory status of monocytes/macrophages via an electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve will prevent/ameliorate seizures as well as behavioural mood symptoms in children with refractory epilepsy, characterized by the "pro-inflammatory monocyte signature"

Epilepsy is one of the most common chronic neurological diseases, affecting 300,000 Canadians. One in 3 epilepsy patients have refractory seizures meaning that all antiseizure drugs fail to control their seizures. This drug resistance in epilepsy may be related to the over expression of multidrug resistance proteins (MDR). Varapamil inhibits MDR. We propose to add verapamil/placebo to patients' anti epilepsy medication for 3 months. Patients who receive placebo will have verapamil added for 3 months after the completion of the double-blind treatment period. Seizure frequency/severity will be tracked. Blood samples for DNA will be collected. There will be 9 clinic visits over 32 weeks. ECG and echocardiogram will be done at baseline and repeated if necessary

The principal purpose of the study is to determine the efficacy and safety of Levetiracetam versus Carbamazepine, intended as the number of patients free from crisis during the whole period of treatment, in patients affected by post stroke late onset crisis.

This project was developed to analyze the clinical, biochemical and functional impact of tDCS on depressive symptoms in participants with temporal lobe epilepsy, intending to collaborate directly in the development of new therapeutic strategies for participants with epilepsy and associated mood disorders. Another objective of this work is to add knowledge about biosafety, possible behavioral and electrophysiological effects of tDCS in participants with temporal lobe epilepsy. Depending on the findings, the study as proposed may provide immediate results for the care of participants with epilepsy.

To compare the efficacy of two less restrictive dietary therapies - LGIT and MAD, used for treatment of drug resistant epilepsy in children

A prospective, open, randomized, pilot clinical trial which aims the assessment of quality of life (QOL) in epilepsy outpatients equipped with a wrist-worn biosensor that provides measures of electrodermal activity and accelerometry. These measures are used to automatically detect epileptic seizures that are transmitted to a mobile phone-based system for alerts and recording.