Which drug stops TBI seizures best? new study aims to find out
NCT ID NCT06866691
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study compares two common seizure medications, levetiracetam and lacosamide, to see which works better at preventing early seizures after a traumatic brain injury. Researchers will also track side effects like agitation and sedation. The trial plans to enroll 600 adults with moderate to severe brain injuries.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- levetiracetam (Keppra) and lacosamide (Vimpat)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could show which drug better prevents early seizures after a traumatic brain injury with fewer behavioral side effects, helping guide standard care.
- What could go wrong
- This is a phase 4 study comparing two already-approved drugs, so no new treatment is being discovered. Results may not apply to all brain injury patients, and individual responses vary.
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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Phase 4
Runs after approval, following long-term safety and how well the treatment works in everyday use.
- Participants
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About 600 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Apr 2025
- Expected to finish
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Apr 2027
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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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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: * 18 years and older * Diagnosis of traumatic brain injury: severe, moderate, or mild with high-risk imaging features * Seizure prophylaxis with one of the two study drugs within 24 hours of initial injury * Patients admitted into the trauma team service Exclusion Criteria: * Enrolled in another interventional drug study * Any active, witnessed, or unable to rule out seizure prior to prophylaxis initiation * Received antiseizure medication (ASM), for prophylaxis or treatment, prior to randomization * History of seizures * On anti-epileptic medications for seizures or indications other than seizures prior to admission * Documented history of alcohol withdrawal and experiencing alcohol withdrawal on admission with initiation of clinical institute withdrawal assessment scale revised (CIWA-Ar) or modified Minnesota Detoxification Scale (mMINDS) requiring treatment * Spinal cord injury (SCI), confirmed by radiographic imaging demonstrating cervical (C1 to C8) or thoracic-spine (T1 to T12) injuries consistent with spinal cord injury * History of bradycardia or permanent pacemaker or signs of bradycardia with HR \< 55 bpm for \> 5 min not on medications that cause bradycardia * End-stage renal disease (ESRD) * Death, withdrawal of life support or transfer to hospice within 24 hours * Pregnant or incarcerated * Baseline GCS \< 13 or unable to determine baseline GCS * Patient with a GCS of 15 or Legally Authorize Representative (LAR) unable to provide informed consent prior to randomization, or unable to read and understand English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Russian, Arabic, or French
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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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Wake Forest University Health Sciences
RECRUITINGWinston-Salem, North Carolina, 27157, United States
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- Machine learning may forecast brain decline after head injury
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