Active clinical trials for "Seizures"

The investigators compared the feasibility of serum creatine kinase and serum lactate concentration as diagnostic markers to distinguish between generalized tonic-clonic seizures (GTCS) and syncopes in clinical settings that require fast-action treatment, such as in the emergency departments.

Official statistics report around 1000 deaths due to epilepsy in the UK each year (Hanna et al 2002). Most of these deaths are un-witnessed and in many cases are believed to have been avoidable with timely assistance (Langan et al 2000). A major problem is detecting nocturnal seizures to allow body re-positioning, to maintain an open airway and to administer rescue medication. There are several seizure alarms commercially available but are often unreliable with many false alarms. The aim of this study is to investigate a novel seizure detection system with a unique algorithm.

The purpose of the study is to evaluate the change in visual fields by means of automated static perimetry and to evaluate the change in retinal structure by means of spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) in adult patients with refractory complex partial seizures (CPS) being treated with vigabatrin (Sabril®)

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.

The investigators aim to identify the frequency with which an elective brain MRI yields and etiologic diagnosis to explain its indication. The protocol includes children undergoing elective brain MRI with anesthesia prior to their third birthday.

The purpose of this study is to assess the safety of perampanel in the treatment of partial onset seizures in participants of age 12 years and older with epilepsy.

The primary objective of this trial is to evaluate the seizure frequency during a course of radiotherapy for high-grade (grade III or IV) gliomas. The patients keep a seizure diary during and up to 6 weeks following radiotherapy. Every day, the patients document the number (and type) of seizures and intake of anti-epileptic medication. At the end of radiotherapy, the patients are asked to complete a questionnaire regarding their satisfaction with the seizure diary. Progression of seizure activity compared to baseline is defined as increase of frequency of seizures by more than 50%, increase of severity of seizures, or as Initiation or increase anti-epileptic medication by at least 25%. To obtain an objective assessment of seizure activity in addition to patient reported outcomes, an electroencephalography (EEG) is performed during the first and the sixth week of radiotherapy, and during the sixth week following radiotherapy. The main goal of the study is to generate objective data regarding the occurrence, frequency and severity of seizures as well as regarding the use of anti-epileptic medication during the course of radiotherapy for high-grade gliomas. These data are used to evaluate the potential effect of radiotherapy on occurrence of seizures in these patients and generate hypotheses. Therefore, statistical analyses of primary and secondary endpoints focus on descriptive methods. If statistical tests are applied, they are to be interpreted from an exploratory perspective. Thirty-two patients with documented start of radiotherapy and any documented diary data at baseline and after start of radiotherapy should be subjected to statistical analysis. Assuming that 10% of patients do not fulfil these requirements, a total of 35 patients should be enrolled to this trial. Recruitment should be completed within 12 months. With this sample size a one-sample binomial test with a one-sided significance level of 2.5% has a power of 80% to yield statistical significance if the rate of patients with progression of seizure events during the course of radiotherapy compared to baseline is 30% (rate under the alternative hypothesis) assuming a 'natural' background progression-rate of 10% without radiotherapy (null hypothesis). If the natural course of the disease would lead to a progression-rate of 5% without radiotherapy only, the power increases to 98%.

Children frequently present with altered or reduced consciousness levels to emergency departments. By using EEG monitoring, subclinical seizure activity may be detected, leading to earlier pharmacological intervention and improved outcomes. Post-ictal phases that may be interpreted as seizure activity may become less over-treated. A feasibility study will ascertain if EEG monitoring can be applied successfully in this cohort, within a specified time period, obtaining minimum artefact (defined as < 25% artefact). EEG recordings will not be used to guide clinical management during this feasibility study.

Main objective: Show the superiority of tonotopy based fitting strategy compared to default fitting strategy on the perception speech in noise. Secondary objectives: Show the superiority of tonotopy based fitting strategy compared to default fitting strategy on the perception of musical elements (contour test). Show the non inferiority of tonotopy based fitting strategy compared to default fitting strategy on the perception of speech elements in quiet. Show the superiority of tonotopy based fitting strategy compared to default fitting strategy on the qualitative preference for the listening of musical pieces.