Neuroimaging Predictors of Treatment Failure in Adult New-onset Epilepsy

January 17, 2013 updated by: Bernd Pohlmann-Eden, Nova Scotia Health Authority

Epilepsy, defined as recurrent, unprovoked seizures, is a common condition, affecting 0.5-1% of the general population. People with uncontrolled epilepsy suffer poor health and increased mortality due to their condition. They frequently experience social stigma and are socioeconomically disadvantaged. It is therefore imperative to help them gain control of their seizures as quickly as possible. A wide range of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) has become available to treat people with epilepsy. However, despite maximal therapy, approximately 20-40% show pharmacoresistance (PR) and thus continue to have seizures.

We do not understand why a significant proportion of people with epilepsy have PR. For any given patient presenting with a first unprovoked seizure, we are unable to predict PR at the time of presentation. At least 2 different AEDs must be tried at maximum doses for a year before we can diagnose PR. At this point, surgical therapies become an increasingly urgent consideration.

Retrospective magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies in the chronic stages of epilepsy have shown that patients with PR are more likely to have focal structural lesions in the brain, and in particular to have signs of damage to the hippocampi. For example, there are retrospective data suggesting that a decreased hippocampal N-acetylaspartate (NAA)/creatine ratio (measured by magnetic resonance spectroscopy [MRS]) and hippocampal atrophy (determined by hippocampal volumetry) correlate with PR. However, it is not clear whether these findings reflect the underlying pathophysiology of PR, or simply reflect the effects of chronic seizures and chronic drug treatment on the brain.

The First Seizure Clinic at the Halifax Infirmary represents a unique opportunity for prospective, longitudinal studies of patients who present with a first seizure or with newly diagnosed epilepsy. In these patients, advanced neuroimaging techniques at presentation might show changes that truly reflect the underlying pathophysiology of PR, rather than changes that develop as a consequence of prolonged seizures and drug treatment. Neuroimaging follow-up might help us to understand the pathophysiologic changes that accompany the evolution of PR. Ultimately, it is our hope to combine neuroimaging features and clinical features of patients with PR in a predictive model that would help us to predict PR at presentation.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Unknown

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Observational

Enrollment (Anticipated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
50

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

  • Name: Matthias H Schmidt, MD
  • Phone Number: 902-473-5332
  • Email: mhschmid@dal.ca

Study Locations

  • Canada
    • Nova Scotia
      • Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, B3H 3A7
        • Recruiting
        • Halifax Infirmary
        • Contact:
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Bernhard Pohlmann-Eden, MD, PhD
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • Matthias H Schmidt, MD

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

17 years and older (Child, Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Patients with first seizure or new-onset epilepsy aged > 17 years

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age 17 years
  • Newly diagnosed epilepsy or history of first unprovoked, witnessed seizure

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Lack of consent provoked seizure due to obvious
  • Acute lesion on CT (e.g. stroke, hemorrhage
  • Provoked seizure due to obvious, chronic lesion on CT (e.g. vascular malformation, tumour)
  • Progressive brain disease (e.g. neoplastic, infectious, demyelinating diseases)
  • History of epilepsy longer than 1 year at presentation to FSC
  • History of AED treatment for more than 4 weeks
  • Contraindication to MRI

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Observational Models: Cohort
  • Time Perspectives: Prospective

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Pharmacoresistance
Time Frame: 12 months
At the end of the study, each participant will be categorized as "PR" or "not PR" by the principal investigator. Participants will be categorized as PR if they have not achieved seizure freedom within 1 year of therapy, using at least 2 AEDs at maximal dose.
12 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Hippocampal NAA/creatine ratio
Time Frame: 12 months
Hippocampal NAA/creatine ratio will be determined by single voxel magnetic resonance spectroscopy.
12 months

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Nova Scotia Health Authority

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
Nova Scotia Health Research Foundation

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Bernd Pohlmann-Eden, MD, PhD, Capital Health, Canada

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
June 1, 2011

Primary Completion (Anticipated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
June 1, 2014

Study Completion (Anticipated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
December 1, 2014

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
March 21, 2011

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
March 21, 2011

First Posted (Estimate)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
March 22, 2011

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
January 21, 2013

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
January 17, 2013

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
January 1, 2013

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • CDHA-RS/2011-258
  • 1164 (Other Grant/Funding Number: Nova Scotia Health Research Foundation EGMS)

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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