New therapy aims to retrain the brain to stop fake seizures
NCT ID NCT06007053
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests a new cognitive behavioral therapy called ReACT for teens aged 11-18 with psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES) – episodes that look like seizures but are not caused by epilepsy. The therapy focuses on helping teens regain a sense of control over their body and reduce catastrophic thoughts about symptoms. 160 participants will receive either ReACT or supportive therapy over 12 sessions, and researchers will measure changes in seizure frequency, pain tolerance, and stress responses up to 12 months after treatment.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- cognitive behavioral therapy (ReACT)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could provide an effective non-drug treatment for pediatric psychogenic non-epileptic seizures, helping teens regain control and reduce seizure frequency.
- What could go wrong
- This is a relatively small, early-stage study (160 participants) comparing ReACT to supportive therapy. The treatment is behavioral, so results may vary, and long-term benefits are not yet proven.
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.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 160 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Mar 2024
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2026
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.
- Ages
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11 to 18 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: * 11-18 years old. * Diagnosis of psychogenic non-epileptic seizures by a medical doctor using video-EEG. * Family member (parent/guardian if a minor) willing to participate and that the subject with PNES chooses. Exclusion Criteria: * Comorbid Epilepsy * Less than 4 PNES per month * Other paroxysmal nonepileptic events (e.g. episodes related to hypoxic-ischemic phenomena, sleep disorders or migraine-associated disorders) * Participation in other therapy during the study * Severe intellectual disability * Severe mental illness (delusions/hallucinations) Exclusion for CPT: * Blood pressure \>130/80 mmHg for adolescents greater than or equal to 13 years old * Either systolic and/or diastolic blood pressure greater than or equal to 95% based on sex and age for children less than 13 years old
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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
1 site. 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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University of Alabama at Birmingham
RECRUITINGBirmingham, Alabama, 35294, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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- New therapy aims to retrain the brain to stop seizures in teens
- New therapy aims to retrain the brain in kids with Seizure-Like episodes