Clinical trial NCT00001325: Metabolic Abnormalities in Children With Epilepsy
Official title: Natural History of Metabolic Abnormalities in Children With Epilepsy
Study type: OBSERVATIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Conditions: Generalized Epilepsy
Infantile Spasms
Metabolic Disease
Partial Epilepsy
Seizures
Keywords: Positron
Tomography
Seizures
Epileptic Focus
Electroencephalography
Metabolism
Glucose
Cerebral
Positron Emission Tomography
Lennox Gastaut Syndrome
Lead sponsor: National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (CC)
Sponsor class: NIH
First posted: 1999-11-04
Enrollment: 80
Sex: ALL
Standard ages: CHILD
ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary: 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

Detailed description: We propose to study children with recent onset partial epilepsy, cryptogenic infantile spasms, and idiopathic Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome with serial FDG-PET to elucidate the natural history and evolution of metabolic abnormalities associated with such epilepsies. The severity of the seizure disorder, and cognitive impairment, when present, will be correlated with the presence and extent of focal and global cerebral metabolic abnormalities.

Eligibility criteria: INCLUSION CRITERIA:

Patients with partial seizures, infantile spasms and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome will be selected.

EXCLUSION CRITERIA:

Evidence of a structural lesion as cause for epilepsy.

Degenerative or metabolic disease.

Inability to comply with the protocol.

Primary outcomes:
Secondary outcomes:
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Bethesda
country: United States
facility: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
state: Maryland
Study officials:
References:
citation: Bourgeois BF, Prensky AL, Palkes HS, Talent BK, Busch SG. Intelligence in epilepsy: a prospective study in children. Ann Neurol. 1983 Oct;14(4):438-44. doi: 10.1002/ana.410140407.
citation: Chugani HT, Phelps ME, Mazziotta JC. Positron emission tomography study of human brain functional development. Ann Neurol. 1987 Oct;22(4):487-97. doi: 10.1002/ana.410220408.
citation: Engel J Jr, Kuhl DE, Phelps ME, Mazziotta JC. Interictal cerebral glucose metabolism in partial epilepsy and its relation to EEG changes. Ann Neurol. 1982 Dec;12(6):510-7. doi: 10.1002/ana.410120603.