Clinical Research Directory

OCCUPATİONAL THERAPY APPROACH İN ARX-RELATED EPİLEPSY

This study evaluated the effects of medical ketogenic diet therapy combined with occupational therapy in children with ARX-related epilepsy. Twenty children were included. Ten children receiving a ketogenic diet formed the experimental group, and ten children not receiving a ketogenic diet formed the control group. Both groups received occupational therapy for 16 weeks. Assessments were performed at baseline, week 8, and week 16. Seizure frequency, motor performance, balance, sensory processing, chewing performance, eating behaviors, and health-related quality of life were evaluated.

Ultrasound-Guided Intermediate Cervical Plexus Block for Postoperative Analgesia in Vagus Nerve Stimulation Surgery

This prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial aims to evaluate the analgesic efficacy of ultrasound-guided intermediate cervical plexus block (ICB) in patients undergoing vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) implantation surgery under general anesthesia. Participants are randomly assigned to receive either an ultrasound-guided ICB with 10 mL of 0.25% bupivacaine or a placebo injection with 10 mL of normal saline following induction of general anesthesia. The primary outcome is total postoperative morphine consumption during the first 24 hours after surgery. Secondary outcomes include intraoperative remifentanil consumption, postoperative pain intensity assessed using the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), time to first analgesic request, length of hospital stay, and postoperative seizure incidence.

Non-Invasive Low Intensity Focused Ultrasound Stimulation for Drug-Resistant Epilepsy

The goal of this study is to investigate the effects of a non-invasive, low intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU) stimulation on seizure frequency and the epileptogenic network in drug-resistant epilepsy. LIFU uses focused sound waves to modulate deep brain regions and to enable changes in brain network activity. Encephalography (EEG) and behavioral tasks will also be used to study how LIFU affects brain activity.

MiCrobiota-gut-brain Axis in Resistant Epilepsy

Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological chronic conditions with a serious burden on patients, their caregivers, and society. Drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) heightens this burden. New approaches are thus a priority. Studies in animal models and humans have shown the link between gut microbiota (GM) and the central nervous system in health, neurological conditions, and neurodevelopmental disorders. DRE has been linked to GM dysbiosis. Preliminary findings in children with DRE showed GM modifications when responding to a ketogenic diet. The mediator role of GM has not yet been studied in DRE patients undergoing surgery/vagal nerve stimulation. CARE's central hypothesis is that the GM and its metabolic profile could contribute to clinical outcomes following these different therapeutic procedures. Identifying microbial biomarkers will enable us to deepen the knowledge of the role of gut-brain axis in epilepsy and to tailor the intervention to each patient based on GM modulation.