Status:
COMPLETED
Herpes Virus-6 and Epilepsy
Lead Sponsor:
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Conditions:
Epilepsy
Eligibility:
All Genders
Brief Summary
This study will explore whether the human herpes virus-6 is associated with epileptic seizures. The virus may be involved in brain scarring, called mesial temporal sclerosis, which is seen in some epi...
Detailed Description
Objective: We would like to demonstrate with this study that the human herpesvirus-6 plays a role in the development of mesial temporal sclerosis (MTS) resulting in epilepsy. We would also like to exa...
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion
- Subjects of any race or ethnicity will be included in the study. Any subject who has been diagnosed with medically intractable epilepsy and is eligible for the epilepsy protocol #01-N-0139 will be evaluated for entry into this study.
- INCLUSION CRITERIA:
- All patients will have a seizure disorder as documented by EEG and video-EEG. Half of the patients will have radiologically documented mesial temporal sclerosis and the other half will have a brain MRI without mesial temporal sclerosis. The patients can only be on phenytoin, carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine, lamotrigine or levetiracetam, since these anti-epileptic drugs have the least or no effect on the glutamate and GABA levels in the brain. The patients can not take any other medications.
- Healthy control subjects entering the study must be free of serious disease as determined by a standard physical and neurological examination. The control subjects can not be on any medication.
- All subjects must be able to give informed consent allowing us to use the cerebrospinal fluid and serum for research.
- All subjects will have to be able to refrain from chocolate, tea and coffee (low monoamine diet; Wood et al.1979) and alcohol during the one week before the study.
- Patients must be seizure free for 48 hours prior to the lumbar tap and the MRS.
- EXCLUSION CRITERIA
- Subjects will be excluded if:
- They are under the age of 18
- They are female and are pregnant
- They have a history of medical disorders which can affect the concentration of cerebral metabolites, including diabetes mellitus, renal dysfunction, hepatic dysfunction and electrolyte abnormality
- They take any medication for the normal control group
- They take any medication, with the exception of phenytoin, carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine, lamotrigine and levetiracetam for the epilepsy patients
- They have a history of psychiatric and/or mood disorders
- They have implanted devices such as pacemakers, medication pumps or defibrillators, or metal in the cranium except for the mouth, intra-cardiac lines, a history of shrapnel injury or any other condition/device that may be contraindicated or prevent the acquisition of MRI
- They have a coagulopathy that prevents them from having a lumbar puncture performed
- They have had a seizure 48 hours prior to the MRS and the lumbar tap
- Subjects who cannot give informed consent allowing us to use the removed fluid for research will also be excluded.
Exclusion
Key Trial Info
Start Date :
June 1 2004
Trial Type :
OBSERVATIONAL
End Date :
July 1 2005
Estimated Enrollment :
45 Patients enrolled
Trial Details
Trial ID
NCT00085683
Start Date
June 1 2004
End Date
July 1 2005
Last Update
March 4 2008
Active Locations (1)
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1
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Bethesda, Maryland, United States, 20892