Dynamite v1.0
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Dynamic neuronal networks in human development and their relationship to network abnormalities in paediatric patients with developmental epilepsies.
IRAS ID
170631
Contact name
Richard E Rosch
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
UCL Institute of Child Health
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
6499/001, UCL REC Number
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 7 months, 1 days
Research summary
In this study we want to use a new way of analysing brain-traces, or electroencephalographs (EEGs), to identify abnormalities in brain networks in children with epilepsy. The new method we are proposing could both improve the diagnosis of epilepsy in new patients and help our understanding of the underlying brain-network abnormalities that cause the disorder.
Epilepsy is the tendency to have seizures or fits that are caused by abnormal electrical activity in the brain. It is one of the most common neurological conditions in childhood. Having epilepsy can risk patients’ health by having uncontrolled and unpredictable seizures, and also have long-lasting effects on thinking-ability and children's development. Yet diagnosis of epilepsy and finding the right treatment are often difficult.
We want to collect EEGs from approximately 80 children with epilepsy and 80 healthy controls while they are listening to sounds that cause a known response in the brain. The EEG recording is non-invasive and routinely used in clinical practice for patients with epilepsy. It monitors electrical activity of the brain by recording tiny electrical changes caused by nerve cells on the scalp. We have a dedicated children’s EEG laboratory as well as a mobile EEG van where the experiments will be performed.
Using a technique called ‘dynamic causal modelling’, we then use the collected EEGs to create a model of the changing activity and connections in the underlying brain network. Using this we will be able to identify the causes for differences in the EEGs between healthy controls and children with epilepsy.
These results will help in explaining why children with epilepsy are prone to seizures. They could lead to more reliable diagnoses and may help in identifying brain areas or connections between them as potential targets for future treatments.REC name
London - Brent Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/LO/0765
Date of REC Opinion
30 Apr 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion