Gut bacteria could hold key to better epilepsy treatment
NCT ID NCT07253701
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This observational study looks at how bacteria in the gut and mouth are linked to epilepsy and whether they affect how well seizure medicines work. Researchers will collect stool, saliva, and blood samples from 1,500 people with newly diagnosed epilepsy and healthy controls. By analyzing these samples, they hope to find patterns that could one day help doctors personalize epilepsy treatment.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this research could help doctors choose the best seizure medicine based on a person's gut bacteria, improving seizure control and reducing side effects.
- What could go wrong
- This is an observational study, not a treatment trial. It may find no clear links between gut bacteria and epilepsy, or the results may not lead to practical changes in care.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Participants
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About 1,500 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Feb 2024
- Expected to finish
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Mar 2028
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
Who is studied
Residents of Sweden
- Ages
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2 to 79 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Patients: Age 2-79 years, newly diagnosed with epilepsy, treatment-naive at time of enrollment * Controls: Age 2-79 years Exclusion Criteria: * Patients: already started ASM treatment (more then one dose), has used antibiotics or probiotics in the last three months, has a gastrointestinal diagnosis, has surgically removed parts of the GIT, obesity (BMI\>30), T2D, follows a strict exclusion diet, is pregnant or breastfeeding, has a gastrostomy, PEG or jejunostomy * Controls: previous epilepsy diagnosis or ASM treatment, has used antibiotics or probiotics in the last three months, has a gastrointestinal diagnosis, has surgically removed parts of the GIT, obesity (BMI\>30), T2D, follows a strict exclusion diet, is pregnant or breastfeeding, has a gastrostomy, PEG or jejunostomy
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
6 sites. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Akademiska Sjukhuset
RECRUITINGUppsala, Sweden
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Drottning Silvias Barnsjukhus
RECRUITINGGothenburg, Sweden
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Karolinska Universitetssjukhus
RECRUITINGStockholm, Sweden
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Norrlands universitetssjukhus
RECRUITINGUmeå, Sweden
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Skånes universitetssjukhus
RECRUITINGLund, Sweden
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Universitetssjukhuset i Linköping
RECRUITINGLinköping, Sweden
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- Reading the Brain's signals to predict who benefits from deep brain stimulation
- Can a Comfort-Focused education program improve life with epilepsy?
- Can video games rewire young brains after injury?
- High-Fat Diet's effect on epilepsy: scientists track brain signals
- Epilepsy drug candidate put to the test in healthy volunteers