Thalamic recordings during SEEG in children with focal epilepsy

Thalamic Recordings in Children Undergoing SEEG

Not applicable Interventional Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust · NCT06453759

This will test whether adding small electrodes into specific thalamic areas during SEEG in children with focal epilepsy can identify thalamic seizure signals to help guide future targeted treatments.

Quick facts

PhaseNot applicable
Study typeInterventional
Enrollment30 (estimated)
Ages2 Years to 20 Years
SexAll
SponsorGreat Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust Academic / other
Locations1 site (London)
Trial IDNCT06453759 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

SEEG is used as part of the pre-surgical evaluation to locate where seizures start, but fewer than 35% of children become seizure free after current pathways of care. This project adds recording electrodes into the bilateral anterior, centromedian and pulvinar thalamic nuclei during clinically indicated SEEG at Great Ormond Street Hospital to capture ictal and interictal thalamic activity and measure functional connectivity. The recordings are intended to map thalamic signatures of seizure involvement and to build evidence for choosing personalised thalamic targets for neuromodulation such as DBS or RNS. Participation requires informed consent and the recordings are performed alongside the child’s planned clinical SEEG procedure.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Children undergoing SEEG as part of their pre-surgical evaluation at Great Ormond Street Hospital whose parents or guardians provide informed consent are eligible.

Not a fit: Children who are not candidates for SEEG, who do not have thalamic involvement in their seizures, or who do not proceed to neuromodulation may not directly benefit from the recordings.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this could help clinicians pick better thalamic targets for stimulation and potentially improve seizure outcomes for some children.

How similar studies have performed: Thalamic DBS and RNS have shown promise in some adult and mixed-age reports, but systematic thalamic recordings in children are limited, so this approach is relatively novel for the pediatric population.

Eligibility criteria

Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria:

1. All children undergoing SEEG as part of their pre-surgical evaluation at GOSH
2. Participants/parents/legal guardian provide informed consent for inclusion

Exclusion Criteria:

1\) Lack of informed consent

Where this trial is running

London

Study contacts

How to participate

  1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
  2. Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
  3. Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.
Conditions Focal Epilepsy
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.