Active clinical trials for "Spasms, Infantile"

Epileptic spasms are a difficult to treat epileptic condition in young children. The first line treatment is hormonal treatment, in the form of ACTH or oral steroids, which are effective in 60-70% of children. The condition does not respond well to other anti-epileptic drugs except vigabatrin which is not approved and hence has limited availability and high cost in India. The ketogenic diet, a high fat low carbohydrate diet has been found to be effective in refractory childhood epilepsy especially epileptic spasms. However, the ketogenic diet restricts calories and proteins and required strict weighing of foods. The modified Atkins diet (MAD) is a less restrictive diet which is easier for the parents to prepare and for the children to consume. In this study, it is planned to evaluate the efficacy of the MAD in children with epileptic spasms refractory to hormonal treatment in a randomized controlled trial.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the presence of neuroinflammation in children with infantile spasms using 11C-PK11195 positron emission tomography (PK PET) scan, and its response to ACTH treatment by repeating the PK PET scan after treatment.

The primary objective of the study is to evaluate vigabatrin pharmacokinetics (PK) in neonates receiving vigabatrin for infantile spasms (IS); and to determine the safety of vigabatrin.

Infantile spasms (IIS), a characteristic epilepsy syndrome of infancy with often catastrophic developmental consequences, is known in some patients to have many different genetic, metabolic and structural etiologies. However, for most patients IIS is the only presenting clinical feature and the specific cause is unknown. Only two FDA approved pharmacologic treatments for IIS exist, Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and vigabatrin. While vigabatrin may be the treatment of choice for Tuberous Sclerosis as a cause for IS, ACTH is the treatment of choice for all others. Unfortunately, a substantial number of patients may still not respond to ACTH and there is no a priori way that suggests which patients may be responders. This has led to the following key questions: Can novel genetic analyses determine known genetic causes of IS with greater efficiency (more timely and cost-effective)? Can novel genetic analyses determine previously unknown disease modifying genes that predispose individuals to develop IS? Can novel genetic analyses elaborate genes and gene polymorphisms that favor ACTH responsiveness? Do these polymorphisms suggest strategies to improve ACTH responsiveness?

The purpose of this study is to create a patient registry to collect and analyze information on subjects treated with Sabril and the prescribers of Sabril.

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

The purpose of this study is to collect detailed information about the characteristics and genetics of a large number of individuals with epilepsy.

Infantile Spasms syndrome (ISs) is a characterized by epileptic spasms occurring in clusters with an onset in the first year of life. West syndrome represents a subset of ISs that associates spasms in clusters, a hypsarrhythmia EEG pattern and a developmental arrest or regression. Aetiology of ISs is widely heterogeneous including many genetic causes. Many patients, however, remain without etiological diagnosis, which is critical for prognostic purpose and genetic counselling. In the present study, the investigators performed genetic screening of 73 patients with different types of ISs by array-CGH and molecular analysis of 5 genes: CDKL5, STXBP1, KCNQ2, and GRIN2A, whose mutations cause different types of epileptic encephalopathies, including ISs, as well as MAGI2, which was suggested to be related to a subset of ISs.

This is a randomized, controlled study to compare Short-term ketogenic diet with conventional long-term trial in refractory infantile spasms.

West syndrome (WS) is a specific type of epilepsy (or seizure disorder) that has three features: infantile spasms (type of seizure), loss of milestones, and a specific pattern on electroencephalogram (EEG or brain wave test) called hypsarhythmia. The purpose of this study is to detect pre-hypsarhythmia in infants at high-risk for WS and determine whether treatment with ACTH will prevent WS.