An observational study in Epilepsy, Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe and Partial Epilepsy, sponsored by National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). Recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 8 Years to 99 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-10-26.
Sponsored by National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) · Observational
Background:
- Drug resistant epilepsy is the term used to describe epilepsy that cannot be controlled by medication. Many people whose seizures do not respond to medication will respond to surgical treatment, relieving seizures completely or almost completely in one-half to two-thirds of patients who qualify for surgery. The tests and surgery performed as part of this treatment are not experimental, but researchers are interested in using the data collected as part of routine standard epilepsy care to better understand epilepsy and its treatment.
Objectives:
- To use surgery as a treatment for drug resistant epilepsy in children and adults.
Eligibility:
- Children and adults at least 8 years of age who have simple or complex partial seizures (seizures that come from one area of the brain) that have not responded to medication, and who are willing to have brain surgery to treat their medically intractable epilepsy.
Design:
Objective
This protocol is being performed to collect prospective data on patients who receive standard of care treatment for drug resistant epilepsy and to follow the natural history of patients receiving epilepsy surgery, to investigate neurophysiological correlates of human cognitive function, to provide invasive monitoring for patients with tumor related epilepsy. Any treatment under this protocol will be based on the current standard of care for epilepsy surgery.
Study Population
Patients 8 years and older whose seizures are uncontrollable with medication may participate in this study as well as patients with tumor related epilepsy in whom invasive monitoring is indicated.
Study Design
Patients will be screened by study neurologists to confirm their diagnosis of drug resistant epilepsy. Patients that do not have a confirmed diagnosis of drug resistant epilepsy will be offered further evaluation in protocol 18-N-0066, Investigating Epilepsy: Screening, Evaluation and Treatment. Patients confirmed to have drug resistant epilepsy will be offered standard invasive and non-invasive diagnostic and surgical procedures. Diagnostic invasive monitoring with intracranial electrodes for further localization of their seizure focus may be required. The ultimate goal is to surgically remove or modify the epileptic focus. Standard procedures to be performed are 1) anterior temporal lobectomy or 2) amygdalohippocampectomy for temporal lobe epilepsy, 3) focal cortical resection for epilepsy that arises outside the temporal lobe, 4) removal of brain lesions causing epilepsy, 5) multiple subpial transection, and 6) placement of neurostimulator devices. These procedures are all FDA approved standard of care for treatment of drug resistant epilepsy.
In patients in whom invasive monitoring is medically necessary, neurophysiologic activity during cognitive tasks will be captured from intracranial surface and depth electrodes. Analysis will focus on the role of neuronal firing and aggregate neural activity 1) during cognitive function, 2) in other states such as wakefulness and sleep, and 3) during periods of time surrounding seizure activity.
Drug Resistant Epilepsy
Patients with drug resistant epilepsy will be followed for three months after the surgical procedure and will receive standard neurological examinations and MRI evaluation of the brain. Participants in this protocol will be evaluated for potential eligibility for other NINDS clinical trials.
Tumor Related epilepsy
Patients with tumor related epilepsy will be enrolled in this protocol because of clinical indications arising from participation in a separate protocol, 16-N-0041 Tumor Related Epilepsy. Patients will complete participation after the three-month post-op visit.
Outcome Measures
By providing standard care treatment for patients with drug resistant epilepsy, this protocol allows for descriptive and/or correlational studies based on the data collected through clinical care of these patients including neurophysiological correlates of cognitive function and studies of tissue sample acquired during surgery. Outcomes for patients with tumor related epilepsy will be assessed under a separate protocol, 16-N-0041, Tumor Related Epilepsy.
65 studies on the registry are indexed under Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe; 25 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 300 is above the median of 89 across 22 observational studies indexed under Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe.
Browse Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe studies →National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) is the lead sponsor of 601 studies on the registry; 56 are open to participants now.
Of its 18 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 8 (44%) have results posted.
Compared within Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe, this study's primary condition as ClinicalTrials.gg classifies it; the registry's first condition term is Epilepsy. The counts are of registry records indexed under each term, refreshed daily. How we classify →
Patients 8 years and older whose seizures are uncontrollable with medication may participate in this study as well as patients with tumor related epilepsy in whom invasive monitoring is indicated.
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
To be eligible for entry into the study, candidates must:
1. Be 8 years of age or older with drug resistant epilepsy or tumor related epilepsy.
EXCLUSION CRITERIA:
Candidates will be excluded if they:
1. Are unable or unwilling to give , or have a parent able to provide informed consent if a minor, to the research procedures.
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Informed consent
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Patients 8 years and older whose seizures are uncontrollable with medication may participate in this study as well as patients with tumor related epilepsy in whom invasive monitoring is indicated.
Descriptive and/or correlational studies
By providing standard care treatment for patients with drug resistant epilepsy, this protocol allows for descriptive and/or correlational studies based on the data collected through clinical care of these patients including neurophysiological correlates of cognitive function and studies of tissue sample acquired during surgery. Outcomes for patients with tumor related epilepsy will be assessed under a separate protocol, 16-N-0041, Tumor Related Epilepsy.
Time frame: 1 year
Plan to share: Undecided — We do plan to share IPD. we will share all IPD that results in a publication on a public repository, as required by most journals. the data will be de-identified and anonymized.
From the registry record's own update history. This site started tracking changes on Sep 25, 2026; for anything earlier, see the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) →