Study of Outcome of Childhood Stroke - SOCS

Many children have physical, psychological and behavioural impairments following a stroke - although some children seem to recover well. Little is known about the outcome of childhood stroke, and why some children may be more affected than others.  This project is assessing the outcome for children at one year following their stroke.

This project is led by Dr Finbar O'Callaghan and runs at various centres in the UK.

The Stroke Association has funded this project.

For more information, visit the SOCS website at:

www.childstroke.org.uk

International Collaborative Infantile Spasms Study - ICISS

This is an international, multicentre, randomised, parallel-group clinical trial investigating the best medical treatment for the epileptic condition Infantile Spasms (including West Syndrome).  In this trial we are comparing the efficacy of two different treatment options: hormonal treatment alone (the steroids prednisolone or tetracosactide); versus hormonal treatment plus an anti-epileptic drug, Vigabatrin.  Infants in each group are monitored for how well their spasms are controlled, and for their developmental progression.

This study runs at centres all over the world, and is coordinated from the University of Bath and the Royal United Hospital Bath NHS Foundation Trust.  The study is led by Professor John Osborne and Dr Finbar O'Callaghan.

The Castang Foundation have funded this project.

For more information, visit the ICISS website at:

www.bath.ac.uk/health/research/iciss

Perinatal Origins of Childhood Stroke - POCS

This is a case-control study investigating the factors in pregnancy, birth and early life that may be associated with the risk of having a stroke later in childhood.  The factors that we are investigating include: maternal health during pregnancy, complications during birth, the child's weight and head size at birth, and their developmental progression in the first years of life.

This study is led by Dr Finbar O'Callaghan.

The Mothercare Foundation, in connection with The Stroke Association, have funded this project.

Metformin in Tuberous Sclerosis Complex - MiTS

This is a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial of metformin in tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC).  In this trial we are investigating the effect of the drug metformin on size of kidney tumours in patients with TSC.  We are also examining the effect of metformin on the size of brain tumours and facial tumours, epilepsy, cognitive abilities, and overall quality of life in these patients.

This trial is led by Dr Finbar O'Callaghan.

The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) has funded this trial via a Research for Patient Benefit Grant.

Sleep Disturbance and Learning in Childen with Benign Epilepsy of Childhood with Centrotemporal Spikes (BECCTS)

'BECCTS' is a type of epilepsy, also called Benign Rolandic Epilepsy.  It is called 'benign' because it was originally thought to have no ill-effects.  However, children with BECCTS often have some mild learning difficulties, and they have abnormal electrical activity happening in their brain when they sleep.

Good quality sleep is important to help reinforce things we learn during the day. The electrical activity in their brain at night might be interfering with how well these children sleep.  So when a child with BECCTS has some mild learning difficulties, this might be because they are not sleeping well, and so what they have learnt during the day doesn't stick.

This project is a clinical trial investigating the relationship between the electrical activity in the brain at night, sleep quality, and learning difficulties in children with BECCTS.  We are finding out whether an anti-epileptic medicine that controls the electical activity in the brain at night will help improve the quality of children's sleep, and if this makes it easier for these children to learn.

This project is led by Dr Finbar O'Callaghan, and runs at centres in Bristol and Glasgow.

Epilepsy Research UK and The Waterloo Foundation have funded this project.

The safety and efficacy of RAD001 in treating patients with subependymal giant cell astrocytoma (SEGA) associated with Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (EXIST1)

This is a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial investigating the safety and efficacy of the drug RAD001in treating SEGAs (brain tumours) in patients with the genetic disorder Tuberous Sclerosis Complex.  This trial is also investigating the effect of the drug on patients' kidney tumours, seizures, and neuropsychological performance.

This study runs at centres worldwide, and is led in the UK by Dr Finbar O'Callaghan.

Novartis Pharmaceuticals have funded this project.

Further information about the study is available at clinicaltrials.gov.

Further information about Tuberous Sclerosis:

The Tuberous Sclerosis Association - the UK charity that supports individuals, promotes awareness, and seeks the causes and best possible management of Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC).