Prevention of West Syndrome With Low-dose Adrenocorticotropin Hormone (ACTH)

Summary

West syndrome (WS) is a specific type of epilepsy (or seizure disorder) that has three features: infantile spasms (type of seizure), loss of milestones, and a specific pattern on electroencephalogram (EEG or brain wave test) called hypsarhythmia. The purpose of this study is to detect pre-hypsarhythmia in infants at high-risk for WS and determine whether treatment with ACTH will prevent WS.

Timeline

Start

2011-07

Primary completion

2018-12

Completion

2018-12

Publications

• Background SOREL L, DUSAUCY-BAULOYE A. [Findings in 21 cases of Gibbs' hypsarrhythmia; spectacular effectiveness of ACTH]. Acta Neurol Psychiatr Belg. 1958 Feb;58(2):130-41. No abstract available. French.
• Background Okumura A, Watanabe K. Clinico-electrical evolution in pre-hypsarrhythmic stage: towards prediction and prevention of West syndrome. Brain Dev. 2001 Nov;23(7):482-7. doi: 10.1016/s0387-7604(01)00291-1.
• Background Suzuki M, Okumura A, Watanabe K, Negoro T, Hayakawa F, Kato T, Itomi K, Kubota T, Maruyama K. The predictive value of electroencephalogram during early infancy for later development of West syndrome in infants with cystic periventricular leukomalacia. Epilepsia. 2003 Mar;44(3):443-6. doi: 10.1046/j.1528-1157.2003.29202.x.
• Background Philippi H, Wohlrab G, Bettendorf U, Borusiak P, Kluger G, Strobl K, Bast T. Electroencephalographic evolution of hypsarrhythmia: toward an early treatment option. Epilepsia. 2008 Nov;49(11):1859-64. doi: 10.1111/j.1528-1167.2008.01715.x. Epub 2008 Jul 9.
• Background Watanabe K, Iwase K, Hara K. The evolution of EEG features in infantile spasms: a prospective study. Dev Med Child Neurol. 1973 Oct;15(5):584-96. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-8749.1973.tb05169.x. No abstract available.
• Background Simon R. Optimal two-stage designs for phase II clinical trials. Control Clin Trials. 1989 Mar;10(1):1-10. doi: 10.1016/0197-2456(89)90015-9.

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