An observational study in 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 120 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-10-19.
Sponsored by National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) · Observational
Objectives:
The overall study objective is to compare the sensitivities and specificities of morphometric analysis techniques using structural MRI images based on pre- and postsurgical localization of epileptic foci in patients undergoing presurgical evaluation for medically refractory epilepsy. To carry out these analyses, we aim to establish an age-stratified normative imaging database using healthy volunteers. Additional objectives are to identify abnormal networks in these patients using resting state fMRI/EEG and MEG/EEG, and to use language and memory fMRI tasks to examine the effects of epileptogenic zones and surgery on cognitive function and the networks associated with these functions.
Study population:
300 adults and children (age 8 and older) with uncontrolled focal epilepsy, and 200 age-stratified healthy volunteers.
Design: A retrospective and prospective natural history study. Research procedures for patients in this study include neuropsychological testing and 1-4 MRI sessions during presurgical evaluation and an additional 1-3 MRI sessions and neuropsychological testing approximately 12 months post-operatively. Research testing (such as research neuropsychological tests or MRI scanning sequences) will be done during a visit for clinical testing whenever possible, likely reducing the number of required visits. Patients will also have optional MEG and 7T structural imaging. Data will also be obtained from patients who have already undergone epilepsy surgery if they had procedures as outlined in the protocol and are willing to share the data. Healthy volunteers will receive a subset of the pre-operative procedures for patients, requiring at least 3 visits. In order to ensure adequate data acquisition, subjects may be re-scanned up to three times for the portions of the study in which they participated, possibly requiring additional visits.
Outcome measures:
The main outcomes will be establishment of normative values for morphometric analysis methods in age-stratified normal controls, and comparison of the sensitivity and specificity of these measures to pre- and postsurgical localization of the epileptogenic zone. Secondary outcome measures will include determination of the sensitivity and specificity of source localization using MEG/EEG and resting state fMRI/EEG, and to evaluate changes in activation during rest, as well as language and memory fMRI tasks in patients pre- and postsurgically, to examine the effects of epileptogenic zones and surgery on cognitive function and the networks underlying these functions.
Objectives: The overall study objectives of this study are 1) to establish an age-stratified normative imaging database, 2) to explore the use of non-invasive imaging techniques such as morphometric analysis of structural MRI, resting state fMRI/EEG and resting state MEG/EEG to localize seizure foci. The sensitivities and specificities of analysis techniques will be determined based on pre- and postsurgical localization of epileptic foci in patients undergoing presurgical evaluation for medically refractory epilepsy. Additional objectives are to identify abnormal networks in these patients using resting state fMRI/EEG and MEG/EEG, to explore the use of language and memory fMRI tasks to examine the effects of epileptogenic zones and surgery on cognitive function and the networks associated with these functions, and to explore whether changes in resting state and task-based fMRI networks can be identified following epilepsy surgery, and how these changes relate to seizure and neuropsychological outcomes.
Study population: 500 adults and children (age 8 and up) with uncontrolled focal epilepsy, and 200 age-stratified healthy volunteers.
Design: A retrospective and prospective natural history study. Research procedures for patients in this study include 1-4 MRI sessions during presurgical evaluation and additional 1-3 MRI sessions approximately 12 months post-operatively. Research testing (such as research neuropsychological tests or MRI scanning sequences) will be done during a visit for clinical testing whenever possible, likely reducing the number of required visits. Patients will also have optional MEG, neuropsychological testing, fMRI and 7T structural imaging. Data will also be obtained from patients who have already undergone epilepsy surgery if they had procedures as outlined in the protocol and are willing to share the data. Healthy volunteers will receive a subset of the pre-operative procedures for patients, requiring at least 3 visits. In order to ensure adequate data acquisition, subjects may be re-scanned up to three times for the portions of the study in which they participated, possibly requiring additional visits.
Outcome measures:
The main outcomes will be establishment of normative values for morphometric analysis methods in age-stratified normal controls, with exploratory outcome measures of determination of comparison of the sensitivity and specificity of these measures to pre and postsurgical localization of the epileptogenic zone. Exploratory outcome measures include determination of the sensitivity and specificity of source localization using morphometric analysis of structural MRI, resting state MEG/EEG and resting state fMRI/EEG, evaluation of changes in activation during rest, as well as language and memory fMRI tasks in patients pre- and post-surgically, and examination of the effects of epileptogenic activity and surgery on cognitive function and the networks underlying these functions.
1,848 studies on the registry are indexed under Epilepsy; 422 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 700 is above the median of 112 across 540 observational studies indexed under Epilepsy.
Browse Epilepsy 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.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
500 adults and children (age 8 and up) with uncontrolled focal epilepsy, and 200 age-stratified healthy volunteers.
INCLUSION CRITERIA FOR PATIENTS SOLELY CONTRIBUTING DATA:
INCLUSION CRITERIA FOR HEALTHY VOLUNTEERS:
EXCLUSION CRITERIA FOR PATIENTS:
EXCLUSION CRITERIA FOR PATIENTS SOLELY CONTRIBUTING DATA:
-Not able or willing to give consent or do not have an appropriate surrogate who can provide consent
EXCLUSION CRITERIA FOR HEALTHY VOLUNTEERS:
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.
A reason a treatment, test or procedure should not be given to a particular person, such as an allergy, another illness or a medicine they take.
Able to become pregnant: from the first period until menopause, unless permanently unable to through surgery (removal of the womb, or of both ovaries or both fallopian tubes).
Criteria for people of childbearing potential usually ask for a negative pregnancy test and for contraception during the study and for a time after it.
A condition in which the immune system attacks the body’s own tissues, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, psoriasis, type 1 diabetes or inflammatory bowel disease.
Immunotherapy studies often leave out active autoimmune disease, and some name exceptions, such as thyroid disease on replacement hormone. Check the exceptions this study lists.
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.
Contraindication
A reason a treatment, test or procedure should not be given to a particular person, such as an allergy, another illness or a medicine they take.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Childbearing potential
Able to become pregnant: from the first period until menopause, unless permanently unable to through surgery (removal of the womb, or of both ovaries or both fallopian tubes).
Criteria for people of childbearing potential usually ask for a negative pregnancy test and for contraception during the study and for a time after it.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Autoimmune disease
A condition in which the immune system attacks the body’s own tissues, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, psoriasis, type 1 diabetes or inflammatory bowel disease.
Immunotherapy studies often leave out active autoimmune disease, and some name exceptions, such as thyroid disease on replacement hormone. Check the exceptions this study lists.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
healthy volunteers
Device: MRI · Device: MEG
Patients
Device: MRI · Device: MEG
MRI of the brain is routinely used to identify abnormal areas of cortex in patients with medically refractory epilepsy. MRI evaluations of brain may be performed at field strengths of 1.5T, 3T, and/or 7T, under conditions designated by the FDA as constituting nonsignificant risk.
MEG/EEG: Magnetoencephalography (MEG) is commonly used during epilepsy pre-surgical evaluations to help with localizing epileptic foci. MEG will be obtained as clinically indicated, usually in patients with unclear seizure focus localization who are undergoing presurgical evaluation, particularly when they have frequent interictal discharges on EEG. MEG records very small magnetic fields generated by the brain at rest, or in response to a task or to epileptic activity. Resting state MEG/EEG analysis will be used for research purposes only.
All outcomes in this study are Exploratory.
All outcomes in this study are Exploratory.
Time frame: All outcomes in this study are Exploratory.
Plan to share: Undecided
Started Mar 2014 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for Mar 2028, 168 months after the start.
Of 193 non-industry observational studies under Epilepsy, half reached primary completion within 62 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 33 and three quarters within 179. This study's planned 168 months is above that.
Counting every sponsor, half of 230 studies reached it within 59 months; a quarter within 24 and three quarters within 119.
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
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) →