Precision Medicine in the Treatment of Epilepsy

Healthy subjects and patients in Cohort III will undergo a 120 min. \[11C\]-UCB-J PET-MR brain scan followed by intravenous administration of levetiracetam after approx. 60 min. in a displacement paradigm. Before, during and after the intervention arterial spin labeling and resting-state functional MRI will be acquired. To measure the radiolabelled tracer's arterial input function, including its radiolabelled metabolites, blood samples will be drawn during the PET scan from an arterial catheter. The selected regions for the primary analyses are the epileptogenic lesion(s) (patients) and the neocortex, hippocampus, entorhinal cortex, fusiform gyrus, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, orbitofrontal cortex, striatum, anterior cingulate cortex and amygdala. \[11C\]-UCB-J binding, volume of distribution and SV2A occupancy will be quantified by analyzing the PET images with well-validated kinetic models.

Patients in Cohort II will be randomized to treatment with an ASM (levetiracetam) in accordance with standard treatment procedures. The patients will enter a 4 weeks titration period receiving increasing doses. During weeks 5-30, patients will enter an evaluation period where the dose can be increased (continued seizures) or decreased (adverse reactions). In cases of unacceptable seizure control and/or intolerable adverse reactions; shift to lamotrigine arm.

Patients in Cohort II will be randomized to treatment with an ASM (lamotrigine) in accordance with standard treatment procedures. The patients will enter a 6 weeks titration period receiving increasing doses. During weeks 5-30, patients will enter an evaluation period where the dose can be increased (continued seizures) or decreased (adverse reactions). In cases of unacceptable seizure control and/or intolerable adverse reactions; shift to levetiracetam arm.