Treating Non-epileptic Seizures Using Magnetic Brain Stimulation

University of Manitoba

Status: Completed

Conditions: Nonepileptic Seizures

Treatments: Device: MagStim Rapid2 Transcranial Magnetic Simulation

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02796924

B2016:039

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this study is to investigate the feasibility of using repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) - a form of non-invasive brain stimulation - to decrease the frequency of psychogenic non-epileptic seizure (PNES) episodes in patients with PNES.

Full description

This study is an open label pilot study that aims to recruit 15 individuals with diagnosed PNES to investigate the feasibility of using repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) to decreasing the frequency of psychogenic non-epileptic seizure (PNES) episodes. rTMS is a non-invasive method of brain stimulation that uses rapid magnetic pulses applied over the scalp to active neurons in a specified target location of the brain.

Electronic as well as paper-and-pencil questionnaires will be used to asses patient's psychiatric symptoms and functional impairment both before and after treatment to monitor symptom-changes.Treatment will consist of daily sessions of high frequency (20 Hz) rTMS applied over the right temporoparietal junction (TPJ) of the cerebral cortex. Patients will receive two sessions per day for 15 consecutive weekdays. Each session will take approximately 20 minutes to complete.

Results of the questionnaires will be analyzed to determine the effect of the treatment on PNES episodes and functional impairment. As a pilot study, this research will be used to evaluate the effect size and the feasibility of a more definitive project in the future. Both patient response and tolerability to rTMS will be analyzed.

Enrollment: 10 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Confirmed Psychogenic Non-Epileptic Seizures

Exclusion criteria

• Evidence of previous or comorbid epileptic seizures
• Major comorbid neurological diseases
• Currently taking medications that are known to reduce seizure-threshold
• Currently pregnant

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: N/A

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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10 participants in 1 patient group

Patients

Experimental group

Description:

30 sessions of high-frequency (20Hz) repetitive stimulation applied over the right temporal-parietal junction in patients with psychogenic non-epileptic seizures using a MagStim Rapid2 Transcranial Magnetic Simulation machine.

Treatment:

Device: MagStim Rapid2 Transcranial Magnetic Simulation