Clinical Trial: Investigating Epilepsy – Screening, Evaluation and Treatment

March 27, 2018

Background: Epilepsy affects about 1 percent of the U.S. population. Most people with epilepsy respond well to medicine, but some do not. Researchers want people who have diagnosed or suspected epilepsy to participate in ongoing studies. They want to learn more about clinical care for epilepsy. They want fellows and residents to learn more about the care of people with epilepsy.

Objectives: The primary objective is to screen patients who are referred to the NIH with a known or suspected diagnosis of epilepsy for eligibility to participate in ongoing epilepsy-related protocols. The secondary objectives are to provide standard of care evaluation and treatment of patients with drug-resistant epilepsy, to provide training for clinical fellows in the evaluation and treatment of epilepsy and related disorders, and to allow for descriptive and/or correlational studies based on the data collected through clinical care of these patients.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study: 8 years and older (Child, Adult, Senior)
Sexes Eligible for Study: All
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age 8 years or older
• Known or suspected diagnosis of epilepsy
• Ability to give informed consent or have a legally authorized representative able to give consent (for adults without consent capacity) or parent/guardian able to provide informed consent (for a child)
• If unable to give informed consent, ability to give assent (for minors 8 and older or adults without consent capacity)

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients with unstable medical conditions that, in the opinion of the investigators, makes participation unsafe, or who, in the opinion of the investigators may be unable to comply with the protocol
• Patients who are unable to travel to the NIH

Study start date: March 28, 2018
Estimated study completion date: August 31, 2027