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Contact the study team using the details below to take part. If there are no contact details below please ask your doctor in the first instance.
Fahmida
Chowdhury
fahmidaamin.chowdhury@nhs.net
Fahmida
Chowdhury
fahmidachowdhury@hotmail.com
Episodic and paroxysmal disorders
This information is provided directly by researchers, and we recognise that it isn't always easy to understand. We are working with researchers to improve the accessibility of this information. In some summaries, you may come across links to external websites. These websites will have more information to help you better understand the study.
Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological conditions, and affects around 50 million people worldwide. It is caused by increased excitability of the brain. Patients with epilepsy have recurrent seizures. Seizures have risks that commonly include injuries but also rarely can result in fatality due to effects of the seizures on breathing and heart rate (known as Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy). Unfortunately about a third of patients have ongoing seizures despite taking the many anti-epileptic medications available and we do not currently understand why this is. In some of these patients, an operation to remove the part of the brain that is causing the seizures, can help to cure seizures. Another exciting possible new treatment under development is gene therapy.
Transcranial magnetic stimulation is useful and safe tool that uses a magnet held over the head to stimulate nerves in the brain and the response can be measured using recording electrodes on the muscles of the hand or by measuring brainwaves on the scalp. It is ideal for studying brain activity in patients with epilepsy, as it can directly probe the workings of brain circuits and give us measures of brain excitability.
In this study we plan to use transcranial magnetic stimulation to measure brain activity in patients with epilepsy, before and after different treatments. This will help us understand how TMS measures can differ in different types of epilepsy which may help in future with diagnosis. We also envisage that will help us understand why some people may become seizure free with treatment whereas others might not, and in turn, in future help us to predict which patients will benefit most from either treatment. This will allow us to choose the best treatment for patients and improve their seizures and thereby their quality of life.
Start dates may differ between countries and research sites. The research team are responsible for keeping the information up-to-date.
The recruitment start and end dates are as follows:
Observational type: Cohort study;
You can take part if:
You may not be able to take part if:
Contraindications to TMS including 1. Presence of metal plates, clips or fragments in the head or eyes 2. Presence of implanted cardiac pacemaker device or other electronic device incompatible with TMS. Participants with Vagal Nerve Stimulators may be studied safely. 3. Inability to remain still and cooperative for the duration of the study 4. Pregnancy, or possibility of pregnancy. We will ask subjects whether there is a possibility of pregnancy, and exclude those who say they are or may be pregnant as a safety precaution. Since TMS has no known adverse effect on pregnancy, we will not require a negative pregnancy test for inclusion in the study. Breastfeeding mothers will not be excluded, as TMS does not affect breastfeeding. 5. Previous severe adverse reaction to TMS.
Below are the locations for where you can take part in the trial. Please note that not all sites may be open.
The study is sponsored by University College London and funded by Medical Research Council (MRC) .
Your feedback is important to us. It will help us improve the quality of the study information on this site. Please answer both questions.
Read full details
for Trial ID: CPMS 55048
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