Innovations
- Cortical stimulation identifies brain areas involved with specific cognitive functions like reading, writing and mathematical calculations, recognition of faces, etc.
- Cortico-cortical evoked potentials uncover brain to brain connections
- Advanced computer programs permit automatic recognition of the interictal and ictal epileptiform activity
- Multiple hippocampal transections reduce seizure activity while preserving memory functions
Current Clinical Trials
UH researchers are pioneering advances in the understanding of and causes of seizures through participation in various clinical and surgical studies including:
- A Double-Blind, Randomized Conversion to Monotherapy Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of Brivaracetam in Subjects With Partial Onset Seizures. Only a limited number of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) are approved for use as monotherapy. The objective of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of Brivaracetam when changing treatment for patients with partial onset seizures from combination treatment to monotherapy.
- Visual Field Assessment With Subjects Who Receive Either Lyrica Or Sugar Pills. Patients with partial seizures will take either Lyrica 300 mg per day or placebo in addition to their current medication. Visual field tests will be done at the beginning of the study, before Lyrica or placebo is added and at the end of the study. By the end of the treatment the person’s visual field test results will be compared to the tests collected at the beginning, prior to taking the study drug, to see if there are any changes.
- Efficacy And Safety Study Of Pregabalin (Lyrica) As Monotherapy In Patients With Partial Seizures. This study will determine the safety and efficacy of pregabalin (Lyrica) when administered by itself (without any other anti-epileptic medication) to epilepsy patients for the treatment of partial seizures.
Additional Areas of Research Within the Epilepsy Center
- Hippocampal transections in rodents: This project aims at identifying the effect of CA3 cuts in the rat hippocampus on memory and seizure control.
- Hippocampal transection in patients with nonlesional temporal lobe epilepsy: This is a novel, alternative surgical procedure we have been offering to selected patients aims at controlling seizures without interfering with memory function.
- Studying in-hospital mortality and complications of status epilepticus in a pediatric population.
- Studying insular connectivity in patients with implanted intracranial electrodes.
- Studying connectivity of the posterior cingulate cortex in patients with implanted intracranial electrodes.
- Studying interhippocampal connectivity in patients with implanted intracranial electrodes: the role of the dorsal hippocampal commissure.
- Electrical stimulation of the insula.
- Basal temporal reading-related potentials in patients with intracranial electrodes.
- Stimulation of the dorsal hippocampal commissure for treatment of intractable epilepsy.
- Stimulation of the fornix for treatment of intractable epilepsy