Serotonin Receptors in Seizure Disorders
Completed
Conditions studied: Partial Epilepsy
In brief
Patients in this study will undergo PET scans (a type of nuclear imaging test) to look for abnormalities in certain brain proteins associated with seizures. Studies in animals have shown that serotonin-a chemical messenger produced by the body-attaches to proteins on brain cells called 5HT1A receptors and changes them in some way that may help control seizures. There is little information on these changes, however. A new compound that is highly sensitive to 5HT1A, will be used in PET imaging to measure the level of activity of these receptors and try to detect abnormalities. Changes in receptor activity may help determine where in the brain the seizures are originating. Additional PET scans will be done to measure the amount of blood flow to the brain and the rate at which the brain uses glucose-a sugar that is the brain's main fuel. Blood flow measurement is used to calculate the distribution of serotonin receptors, and glucose use helps determine how seizures affect brain function. The information gained from the study will be used to try to help guide the patient's therapy and determine if surgery might be beneficial in controlling the patient's seizures.
Key facts
- Study ID
- NCT00001932
- Run by
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
- People needed
- 95
- Starts
- 1999-06-21
- Expected to finish
- 2007-08-15
- Last updated by the study team
- 2017-07-02
Who can join
Age: 18 and older, up to 60. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: accepted.
You may not qualify if…
- Patients younger than 18 or older than 60 years old will be excluded from the study.
- Patients with a known treatable seizure etiology such as neoplastic or infectious disease will be excluded.
- Patients with MRI findings consistent with brain tumors, trauma or AVMs will be excluded.
- Patients with progressive neurologic disorders.
- Patients with a history of significant medical disorders, or requiring chronic treatment with other drugs which can not be stopped, except for SSRIs.
- Patients with cancer.
- Patients not capable of giving an informed consent.
- Patients who had seizure activity 24 hours prior to the study.
Where it is running
- National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, 9000 Rockville Pike — Bethesda, Maryland, United States
Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov
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