Metabolism,Perfusion & Structural Anomalies in Epilepsy
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Metabolism, Perfusion and Structural Anomalies in Epilepsy and their Relationship with Clinical and Cognitive Outcomes
IRAS ID
156993
Contact name
Francesco Fraioli
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University College London Hospitals
Research summary
Epilepsy is one of the most common serious neurological disorders affecting about 65 million people globally. Along with the characteristic seizures, those affected by epilepsy have reduced life expectancy as well as numerous cognitive disorders including potentially debilitating memory impairment
Drug Resistant epilepsy patients are difficult to be managed and often require surgery. When magnetic resonance (MR) does not show any structural abnormality, the identification of the epileptic focus is a challenge to spare as much as possible areas of normal brain. Positron emission tomography has been demonstrated that areas of focal hypometabolism (decreased uptake of glucose in the brain) correspond to epileptic area during the interictal (between seizures) status. Changes in cerebral blood flow have been shown at the epileptic focus. However in a number of cases the focus remains silent.
We attempt to explore the relationship between glucose metabolism, blood flow, and structure of the brain at the epileptic focus, using simultaneous PET/MRI including arterial spin labelling and its effect on cognition.
The aim of the study is to identify the relationship between glucose metabolism, cerebral perfusion and heterogeneity on cognitive and clinical outcomes in patients with epilepsy. We plan to achieve this using meta analysis of previous research, retrospective analysis of clinical data and the use of textural analysis software to identify heterogeneity of tissue identified as the epileptic focus.
REC name
North East - Newcastle & North Tyneside 1 Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/NE/1084
Date of REC Opinion
23 Jul 2014
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion