AzTrials
AzTrials

EpilepsyNCT07885826

Prospective Longitudinal Study of Sleep, Brain Activity, and Plasma Analyses in Patients Undergoing Epilepsy Surgery

An observational study of Epilepsy and Sleep, run by Region Skane at 1 site in Sweden.

Not yet recruiting

Opening soon. The study is approved but enrolment has not started yet. Sites may already take enquiries.

Sites and contacts
Official record
Search all trials

Trial summary

The goal of this observational study is to understand how sleep and brain activity change after epilepsy surgery in adults with drug-resistant epilepsy. Drug-resistant epilepsy means that seizures continue despite treatment with appropriate medications. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Epilepsy, Sleep, Drug Resistant Epilepsy
How many people
40 participants
Where
1 siteSweden
Study dates
21 Sep 2026to 1 Dec 2030
Phase
Observational
Are there results?
Not yet: the study is under way

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 years and older
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Adult, Older adult

Study population: Adults with drug-resistant epilepsy who have been selected for epilepsy surgery as part of routine clinical care at Skåne University Hospital, Lund, Sweden. The study also includes healthy adult controls matched to the patient group by age and sex.

Who may be able to join

  • Adults aged ≥18 years who have been offered and accepted epilepsy surgery following a clinical decision at the epilepsy surgery conference at Skåne University Hospital.
  • Ability to provide informed consent.
  • Healthy controls: age- and sex-matched adults without a diagnosis of epilepsy or a diagnosed sleep disorder, and able to provide informed consent.

Who cannot join

  • Inability to provide informed consent.
  • Inability to complete the study assessments, for example due to cognitive impairment or another medical condition.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.

Sweden1 site
  • Skåne University Hospital

    Lund, Skåne County, 22185

    Damla Özbek Cetinkaya, MD, Damla.OzbekCetinkaya@skane.se

    Christine Ekdahl Clementson, MD, PhD

Other trials in Sweden

About this study

The goal of this observational study is to understand how sleep and brain activity change after epilepsy surgery in adults with drug-resistant epilepsy. Drug-resistant epilepsy means that seizures continue despite treatment with appropriate medications.

The study will investigate whether changes in sleep and brain activity are related to seizure control, sleep quality, and quality of life after surgery.

Read more

The main questions it aims to answer are:

  • How do sleep patterns and brain activity change after epilepsy surgery?
  • How are changes in sleep and brain activity related to seizure control and quality of life?
  • Do sleep patterns after surgery become more like those of healthy adults?
  • How are changes in blood proteins related to sleep, brain activity, and seizure control? Researchers will follow 30 adults undergoing epilepsy surgery. Their sleep will be compared with that of 10 healthy adults of similar age and sex. Healthy participants will complete the study assessments once.

Participants undergoing epilepsy surgery will complete the assessments before surgery and approximately 2 and 6 months after surgery.

At each assessment, participants will:

  • Wear a small device (actigraph) on their wrist for about 2 weeks to measure sleep and activity and keep a sleep diary.
  • Spend 2 consecutive nights at a patient hotel while their sleep and brain activity are recorded using polysomnography (PSG), a test that measures sleep, breathing, and brain activity.
  • Answer questionnaires about sleep quality, insomnia, mood, and quality of life.
  • Provide blood samples for research. Researchers will also collect information about seizure frequency, medications, and medical history.

The sleep recordings will be used to study several aspects of sleep, including:

  • Sleep architecture: how much time participants spend in different stages of sleep and how often their sleep is interrupted.
  • Sleep spindles and slow oscillations: patterns of brain activity during sleep that are involved in how the brain processes and organizes information.
  • Cyclic alternating pattern (CAP): a measure of brief changes in brain activity during sleep that can provide information about sleep stability.
  • Epileptiform activity: abnormal electrical activity in the brain that may be associated with epilepsy and can occur during sleep.

Researchers will also analyze proteins in blood samples to explore whether biological changes are related to sleep and seizure outcomes.

Epilepsy surgery and other medical treatments will be decided by the participants' treating healthcare teams, independently of this study. The study will observe changes before and after surgery without assigning participants to a treatment.

Medical subject headings
Epilepsy, Drug Resistant Epilepsy

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

Study groups in NCT07885826
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Epilepsy Surgery GroupAdults with drug-resistant epilepsy who are scheduled to undergo epilepsy surgery as part of routine clinical care. Participants will undergo study assessments before surgery and approximately 2 and 6 months after surgery.
Healthy Control GroupHealthy adults matched to the epilepsy surgery group by age and sex. Participants will undergo a single study assessment to provide reference data for comparison with the epilepsy surgery group.

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Change in Polysomnography-Derived Sleep Efficiency

    Sleep efficiency measured by polysomnography (PSG), calculated as total sleep time divided by time in bed, expressed as a percentage (%). Changes from baseline to approximately 2 and 6 months after epilepsy surgery will be assessed.

    Measured: Baseline (before surgery), approximately 2 months after surgery, and approximately 6 months after surgery

  2. Change in Polysomnography-Derived Total Sleep Time

    Total sleep time measured by polysomnography (PSG), expressed in minutes. Changes from baseline to approximately 2 and 6 months after epilepsy surgery will be assessed.

    Measured: Baseline (before surgery), approximately 2 months after surgery, and approximately 6 months after surgery

  3. Change in Polysomnography-Derived Sleep Stage Distribution

    Percentage of total sleep time spent in each sleep stage (N1, N2, N3 and REM), measured by polysomnography (PSG). Changes in each sleep stage percentage from baseline to approximately 2 and 6 months after epilepsy surgery will be assessed.

    Measured: Baseline (before surgery), approximately 2 months after surgery, and approximately 6 months after surgery

  4. Change in Polysomnography-Derived Wake After Sleep Onset

    Wake after sleep onset (WASO), measured by polysomnography (PSG) and expressed in minutes, will be used as a measure of sleep fragmentation. Changes from baseline to approximately 2 and 6 months after epilepsy surgery will be assessed.

    Measured: Baseline (before surgery), approximately 2 months after surgery, and approximately 6 months after surgery

  5. Change in Polysomnography-Derived Arousal Index

    Arousal index measured by polysomnography (PSG), defined as the number of EEG arousals per hour of total sleep time (arousals/hour), scored according to standard sleep scoring criteria.

    Measured: Baseline (before surgery), approximately 2 months after surgery, and approximately 6 months after surgery.

  6. Change in Actigraphy-Derived Total Sleep Time

    Mean nightly total sleep time measured by wrist actigraphy over a 14-day recording period, expressed in minutes per night. Changes from baseline to approximately 2 and 6 months after epilepsy surgery will be assessed.

    Measured: Baseline (before surgery), approximately 2 months after surgery, and approximately 6 months after surgery

  7. Change in Actigraphy-Derived Sleep Efficiency

    Mean nightly sleep efficiency measured by wrist actigraphy over a 14-day recording period, calculated as total sleep time divided by time in bed and expressed as a percentage (%). Changes from baseline to approximately 2 and 6 months after epilepsy surgery will be assessed.

    Measured: Baseline (before surgery), approximately 2 months after surgery, and approximately 6 months after surgery

  8. Change in Actigraphy-Derived Sleep Timing Variability

    Night-to-night variability in sleep onset time, quantified as the standard deviation of sleep onset times across the 14-day wrist actigraphy recording period and expressed in minutes. Changes from baseline to approximately 2 and 6 months after epilepsy surgery will be assessed.

    Measured: Baseline (before surgery), approximately 2 months after surgery, and approximately 6 months after surgery

  9. Correlation Between PSG-Derived Sleep Efficiency and Weekly Seizure Frequency

    Correlation between sleep efficiency measured by polysomnography (PSG), expressed as a percentage (%), and weekly epileptic seizure frequency, expressed as number of seizures per week and collected through weekly patient reports.

    Measured: Baseline (before surgery), approximately 2 months after surgery, and approximately 6 months after surgery

  10. Change in Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) Global Score

    Subjective sleep quality will be assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). The global score ranges from 0 to 21, with higher scores indicating poorer sleep quality. Changes from baseline to approximately 2 and 6 months after epilepsy surgery will be assessed.

    Measured: Baseline (before surgery), approximately 2 months after surgery, and approximately 6 months after surgery

  11. Change in Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) Total Score

    Insomnia symptom severity will be assessed using the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI). The total score ranges from 0 to 28, with higher scores indicating greater insomnia severity. Changes from baseline to approximately 2 and 6 months after epilepsy surgery will be assessed.

    Measured: Baseline (before surgery), approximately 2 months after surgery, and approximately 6 months after surgery

  12. Change in Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) Anxiety Score

    Anxiety symptoms will be assessed using the anxiety subscale (HADS-A) of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Scores range from 0 to 21, with higher scores indicating more severe anxiety symptoms. Changes from baseline to approximately 2 and 6 months after epilepsy surgery will be assessed.

    Measured: Baseline (before surgery), approximately 2 months after surgery, and approximately 6 months after surgery

  13. Change in Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) Depression Score

    Depressive symptoms will be assessed using the depression subscale (HADS-D) of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Scores range from 0 to 21, with higher scores indicating more severe depressive symptoms. Changes from baseline to approximately 2 and 6 months after epilepsy surgery will be assessed.

    Measured: Baseline (before surgery), approximately 2 months after surgery, and approximately 6 months after surgery

  14. Change in Quality of Life in Epilepsy Inventory-31 (QOLIE-31) Total Score

    Epilepsy-specific quality of life will be assessed using the Quality of Life in Epilepsy Inventory-31 (QOLIE-31). The total score ranges from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating better quality of life. Changes from baseline to approximately 2 and 6 months after epilepsy surgery will be assessed.

    Measured: Baseline (before surgery), approximately 2 months after surgery, and approximately 6 months after surgery

  15. Change in Weekly Epileptic Seizure Frequency

    Number of epileptic seizures per week, assessed using weekly patient-reported seizure counts collected through REDCap, expressed as seizures/week. This measure applies to participants with epilepsy.

    Measured: Baseline (before surgery), approximately 2 months after surgery, and approximately 6 months after surgery

Secondary outcomes (4)
  1. Change in NREM Sleep Spindle Density

    Sleep spindle density during NREM sleep, quantified from polysomnography EEG recordings as the number of detected sleep spindles per minute of NREM sleep (spindles/min). Changes from baseline to approximately 2 and 6 months after epilepsy surgery will be assessed.

    Measured: Baseline (before surgery), approximately 2 months after surgery, and approximately 6 months after surgery

  2. Change in Cyclic Alternating Pattern Rate

    Cyclic alternating pattern (CAP) rate assessed from NREM sleep EEG recordings, expressed as the percentage (%) of NREM sleep time occupied by CAP sequences. Changes from baseline to approximately 2 and 6 months after epilepsy surgery will be assessed.

    Measured: Baseline (before surgery), approximately 2 months after surgery, and approximately 6 months after surgery

  3. Exploratory Changes in Plasma Proteomic Profiles

    Relative abundance of individual plasma proteins measured using proteomic analysis, expressed as normalized protein abundance values (arbitrary units). Changes from baseline to approximately 2 and 6 months after epilepsy surgery will be assessed for each quantified protein.

    Measured: Baseline (before surgery), approximately 2 months after surgery, and approximately 6 months after surgery

  4. Change in NREM Slow-Wave Activity

    NREM slow-wave activity measured using EEG spectral power in the delta frequency band (0.5-4 Hz), expressed in µV²/Hz.

    Measured: Baseline (before surgery), approximately 2 months after surgery, and approximately 6 months after surgery

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted21 Oct 2026
  2. Study start21 Sep 2026 (estimated)
  3. Primary completion1 Dec 2029 (estimated)
  4. Study completion1 Dec 2030 (estimated)

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Observational
Observational model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrolment
40 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT07885826
Sponsor's protocol ID
2026-03896-01
Status last verified
Sep 2026
First submitted
6 Oct 2026
Last updated
21 Oct 2026
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

An observational study of Epilepsy and Sleep, run by Region Skane at 1 site in Sweden.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 3 inclusion and 2 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: opening soon, as of the sponsor's last update on 21 Oct 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in Sweden. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

Each site lists its own contact: choose the nearest one under Trial locations. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Change in Polysomnography-Derived Sleep Efficiency (time frame: Baseline (before surgery), approximately 2 months after surgery, and approximately 6 months after surgery). The study lists 15 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 21 Oct 2026.

Free account

Keep searching with a free account

You’ve used your 3 free searches for this session. Log in or create a free AzTrials account to keep searching clinical trials and save the ones you want to follow.

Create a free accountLog in
Clinical Trial NCT07885826 | AzTrials