Intensive Preoperative Speech Rehabilitation in Drug-Resistant Temporal Epilepsy

Launched by ASSISTANCE PUBLIQUE HOPITAUX DE MARSEILLE · Nov 6, 2022

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is studying the effects of a special speech rehabilitation program for patients with drug-resistant temporal epilepsy, particularly those whose language skills may be affected by surgery. In France, many people with epilepsy do not respond to medication, and surgery is often the only chance for a cure. However, surgery can sometimes worsen language and memory skills, which is a significant concern for patients. The researchers believe that by providing speech rehabilitation before surgery, they can help improve language abilities and reduce the risks associated with the surgery.

To be eligible for the trial, participants need to be at least 16 years old and have epilepsy that affects the part of the brain responsible for language. They should also be fluent in French, willing to undergo surgery, and have access to a computer and the internet. If you participate, you can expect to take part in the speech rehabilitation program before your surgery, which aims to help protect your language skills afterward. This trial is currently recruiting participants, and it is important for anyone interested to consider these criteria and discuss their options with their healthcare provider.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • 1. Patient 16 years of age and older,
• • 2. Patient whose epileptogenic area involves the temporal structures of the hemisphere specialized for language,
• • 3. Patient whose hemispheric specialization for language is known
• • 4. Patient willing to undergo resective surgery such as anterior temporal lobectomy or resection in the temporal lobe involving the hippocampus and/or the baso-temporal language area and whose planned surgery date is compatible with the performance of the study,
• • 5. Patient with a known NTB score
• • 6. Patient who has signed an informed consent or patient whose parents or legal guardians have signed the informed consent (or a single parent or legal guardian if applicable)
• • 7. Patient whose first language is French (1st language learned by the patient),
• • 8. Patient declaring to be familiar with the use of a computer and having access to an internet connection from home
• • 9. Patient affiliated or benefiting from a social security system.
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • 1. Patient with a speech disorder that may impair intelligibility and compromise the use of the interface;
• • 2. Patient with an uncorrected hearing impairment,
• • 3. Patients with a total intelligence quotient (IQ) \<70 (assessed in the context of care, in the year preceding the surgical procedure)
• • 4. Patients who are pregnant, nursing, deprived of liberty, under guardianship or curatorship.