Dopamine release during epileptic seizures

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    Dopamine release and blood flow changes during induced epileptic seizures assessed with simultaneous PET-MR-EEG

  • IRAS ID

    192284

  • Contact name

    Alexander Hammers

  • Contact email

    alexander.hammers@kcl.ac.uk

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    1 years, 11 months, 30 days

  • Research summary

    Positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MR) are methods of taking pictures of the brain. PET is often used by doctors. For example, in epilepsy PET is used clinically to find out where seizures come from.

    It is still not known exactly how seizures start and stop. Based on other types of study, we think that a brain chemical called dopamine is released from brain cells during seizures. We think this helps to stop the seizure.

    We have recently installed one of the first scanners in the UK that can acquire MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) pictures of the brain at the same time as PET scanning (a PET-MR scanner). MR pictures are much better than CT pictures for seeing the brain's anatomy (structure). We can also now perform electroencephalography (EEG; which means measuring electrical brain waves), at the same time in the new scanner.

    The main aim of the study is to see if dopamine is released during epileptic seizures, using PET, MRI and EEG all at the same time (PET-MR-EEG). To do this, we will ask people with epilepsy to take deep breaths (hyperventilate) during the scan, to produce absence seizures ("blank spells").

    If we are correct and the study works, it might lead in the long term to new treatments for seizures.

  • REC name

    West Midlands - Coventry & Warwickshire Research Ethics Committee

  • REC reference

    16/WM/0364

  • Date of REC Opinion

    2 Mar 2017

  • REC opinion

    Further Information Favourable Opinion