A break from seizure pills: could less medication mean better living?
NCT ID NCT07750496
First seen Aug 06, 2026 · Last updated Aug 07, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study looks at what happens when people with epilepsy who have been seizure-free for at least two years stop one of their antiseizure medications. The goal is to see if coming off the drug improves quality of life and reduces side effects, without greatly increasing the risk of seizures. Participants will be followed for about a year, with visits conducted mostly by video. The findings could help guide future decisions about whether and how to taper epilepsy medication.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Discontinuation of antiseizure medication
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could help doctors and patients decide whether stopping epilepsy medication is safe and beneficial after a long seizure-free period.
- What could go wrong
- The study is small and early, and stopping medication may increase the risk of seizures. Results may not apply to all epilepsy patients.
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
-
Phase 4
Runs after approval, following long-term safety and how well the treatment works in everyday use.
- Participants
-
About 40 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
-
Aug 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
-
Aug 2029
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
-
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
-
18 years and older
- Sex
-
Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
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: * Provision of signed and dated informed consent form * Stated willingness to comply with all study procedures and availability for the duration of the study * Diagnosis of epilepsy * At least 2 years since participants most recent seizure * At most 35% calculated 1-year post-discontinuation seizure risk, based upon the existing multivariable calculator if they are on only 1 ASM, otherwise no such restriction if they are more than 1 ASM * Willingness to adhere to the study intervention * Taking at least 1 antiseizure medication prior to enrollment Exclusion Criteria: * Current pregnancy or planned pregnancy during the study period * History of epilepsy surgery * Large space-occupying radiographic lesion such as a large cortical tumor, large artery stroke, or encephalomalacia from traumatic brain injury. * Subject has any other clinically significant conditions or circumstances that in the judgment of the investigator or treating clinician should preclude study participation. Please note: The researchers will ask participants not to drive for 2 months after ASM discontinuation if on monotherapy, and exercise caution while driving if stopping one antiseizure medication but remaining on others
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Epilepsy are added.
Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
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.
-
The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
-
The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
-
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
-
University of Michigan
RECRUITINGAnn Arbor, Michigan, 48109, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Can lavender and lullabies help kids with epilepsy sleep better?
- 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