MRI markers of neurobehavioural impairment in early onset epilepsy v1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Investigating the structural neurological basis of neurobehavioural impairments in children with early onset epilepsy
IRAS ID
141355
Contact name
Michael Yoong
Contact email
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
141355, IRAS; 14/SS/1010, REC
Research summary
Developmental and behavioural problems, such as Anxiety, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are more common in children with epilepsy, especially those with epilepsy starting below the age of 5 years. These problems tend to persist and can have a significant impact on the child’s quality of life and future prospects, sometimes greater than the epileptic seizures themselves.
At present it can be difficult to pick up early signs of these conditions without extensive psychological testing and they may only become apparent as children grow older. Though an existing study (NEUROPROFILES) we have recruited a group of children with early-onset epilepsy around the time of initial diagnosis who have had detailed psychological assessment screening them for the presence of any of these impairments. We propose to compare the magnetic resonance imaging of these children to that of a control group of children without epilepsy to see if we can find changes that will allow us to predict which children will have or are at risk of developing these problems that are specific to children with epilepsy. This will potentially allow us to identify those at increased risk and allow early intervention and also increase our understanding of the underlying mechanisms behind these conditions.
REC name
South East Scotland REC 02
REC reference
14/SS/1010
Date of REC Opinion
24 Jul 2014
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion