Low Intensity Focused Ultrasound Treatment for Epilepsy: A Pilot Trial
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Summary
The aim of the proposed pilot study is to investigate patient tolerability and efficacy of moderate term, repeated exposure of Pulsed Low-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (PLIFUS) in patients with drug-resistant temporal lobe epilepsy.
Description
The aim of the proposed pilot study is to investigate safety and tolerability of moderate term, repeated exposure of Pulsed Low-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (PLIFUS) in patients with drug-resistant temporal lobe epilepsy. Due to the lack of options for patients with drug-resistant epilepsy, investigations into alternative noninvasive treatments are warranted. PLIFUS has been shown to safely modulate neuronal tissue, and is non-invasive and painless. Several human studies have shown that the use of PLIFUS can suppress somatosensory evoked potentials and induce functional magnetic resonance ima…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 18+ years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria: * Subjects at least eighteen (18) years of age * Subjects with drug-resistant temporal lobe epilepsy whose seizures involve altered awareness (ie failed at least two trials of antiepileptic drugs for seizures), as determined by one of the BWH epilepsy neurologists based on clinical seizure semiology and/or EEG findings. * Subjects who experience at least 1-2 seizures per month on average, are aware of or have reliable caregivers who are aware of when seizures occur and can reliably log seizure frequency * Subjects who have the cognitive ability to read and understand the c…
Interventions
- DeviceFocused ultrasound
Pulsed low intensity focused ultrasound
Location
- Brigham and women's HospitalBoston, Massachusetts