UK clinical trials - updated daily from ClinicalTrials.gov
Find clinical trials for epilepsy in the United Kingdom. Explore treatment pathways including anti-seizure medications, devices, and surgical options.
Epilepsy affects ~600,000 people in the UK (~1 in 100). It is characterised by recurrent seizures caused by abnormal electrical activity in the brain. There are many types, from focal seizures (affecting one area) to generalised seizures (affecting the whole brain). About 70% of people can become seizure-free with the right treatment, but ~30% have drug-resistant epilepsy requiring alternative approaches.
First-line: anti-seizure medications (ASMs) chosen by seizure type - lamotrigine or levetiracetam for focal epilepsy, valproate for generalised epilepsy (with restrictions for women of childbearing age). Second-line: add or switch ASMs - there are now over 30 available. Drug-resistant epilepsy (failure of 2+ appropriate ASMs): evaluate for epilepsy surgery, vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), deep brain stimulation (DBS), or responsive neurostimulation (RNS).
Epilepsy surgery can be curative for focal epilepsy - temporal lobectomy has ~60-80% seizure freedom rates. VNS (vagus nerve stimulator) reduces seizures by ~50% in ~40% of patients. Deep brain stimulation (DBS targeting the anterior thalamus) and responsive neurostimulation (RNS, detecting and responding to seizure activity) are newer options. Laser ablation (MRI-guided) is a minimally invasive surgical approach.
Active UK epilepsy trials include: novel ASMs with improved safety profiles, gene therapy for monogenic epilepsies (Dravet syndrome, SCN1A mutations), cannabinoid-based medicines (cannabidiol/Epidyolex expansion), closed-loop neurostimulation, AI seizure prediction, precision medicine based on genetic testing, and dietary therapies (ketogenic diet modifications). Epilepsy Research UK funds significant UK research.
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