TDCs to Treat Drug-resistant Epilepsy
Condition: Other Forms of Epilepsy, Treatment Resistant
MeSH terms: Epilepsy; Drug Resistant Epilepsy
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      Epilepsy is the fourth overall neurologic disorder, regardless of age and gender. It
      encompass a wide spectrum of conditions, intensities and seizure types; therefor, several
      drugs have proven to treat different types of seizures. However, around 22.5 % of patients
      are unable to attain control regardless of the drug used or even a combination of several of
      them. TDCs offers a non-invasive approach with a focal effect for those patients. The focus
      of this study is to define the role for tDCS in the treatment of drug-resistant epilepsy on
      children.
    

Detailed description: 
      Epilepsy is the fourth overall neurologic disorder, regardless of age and gender. There are
      between 16 and 51 new cases per 100 000 people every year. A community-based study conducted
      in France concluded that up to 22.5 % of patients could be classified as presenting
      drug-resistant epilepsy. This group presents significant hazards such as an increased risk of
      death, injuries, psychosocial disfunction and a reduced quality of life. The International
      League against Epilepsy defines drug-resistant epilepsy as follows: A failure of adequate
      trials of two (or more) tolerated, appropriately chosen, appropriately used antiepileptic
      drugs (whether administered as monotherapies or in a combination) to achieve freedom from
      seizures. This significant amount of patients are the drive to develop different approaches
      in order to offer alternatives for control. In this regard, non-invasive brain stimulation
      protocols lead the way, since the pathophysiological substrate of epilepsy is an enhanced
      cortical excitability, leading to paroxysmal depolarisation shifts, an enhanced probability
      of high-frequent and hypersyncronous activity of small neuronal networks and the abnormal
      spreading of this pathological activity along cortico-cortical and cortico-subcortical
      neuronal conections. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) consists of short-lasting
      electric stimulus delivered to specific brain regions. When delivered repidetly, it generates
      long-lasting cortical excitability alterations and thus, has the potential to treat epilepsy
      targeting to the specific brain region where the cortical excitability is alterated. The aim
      of this study is to define the role for tDCS on the treatment of drug resistant epilepsy on
      children.
    

Intervention name(s): Cathodal tDCS
Intervention type(s): Device
Intervention description(s): We do 2 sessions per week of 35 minutes with cathodal electrodes over epileptic focus
Other intervention name(s): Brain Noninvasive Electrical Stimulation; tDCS
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Intervention model description: Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment Masking: Double (Participant, Outcomes Assessor) Primary Purpose: Treatment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Treatment
Keywords: Drug-resistant epilepsy; tDCS