The Impact of Epilepsy Surgery on Dream Content

NCT02731443 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 107654
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 20
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Prospective observational study on epilepsy patients undergoing partial brain resection surgery (i.e. anterior temporal lobectomy) to assess the change in dream content before and 3 months and 1 year after surgery using anonymized dream-recall questionnaires. A control group of epilepsy patients undergoing diagnostic depth electrodes placement will complete the same questionnaires pre- and postoperatively to asses the factor 'general anesthesia' as a potential confounder.

Conditions

Dream Content

Keywords

dreaming; epilepsy; neurosurgery; temporal lobectomy

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Percentage Change of Dream Features Occurrence (i.e. dream content; MOST RECENT DREAM questionnaire) - both groups (ESx & control group)

  Percentage change of the following dream features occurrences according to the Hall/Van de Castle system are considered: * Characters * Social Interactions * Aggression * Friendliness * Sexuality * Activities (walking, talking, seeing, thinking, etc.) * Success and Failure * Misfortune and Good Fortune * Emotions * Settings * Objects * Descriptive Elements (modifiers, time, negatives) The relative abundance of the dream content listed above will be expressed in percentage and postoperative changes compared to the preoperative baseline. Relative differences between the indicators will be determined and statistically tested for significance. The one indicator that turns out to be statistically different from the rest will be considered the primary outcome measure. For an example, compare Bentes et al. 2011.

  3 months

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Dream Content (MOST RECENT DREAM questionnaire) - ESx group

  12 months

Other Outcomes (2)

• Seizure frequency (ESx only)

  3 and 12 months

• Anti epileptic drugs (AED) usage (ESx only)

  3 and 12 months

Study Arms (2)

ESx

Epilepsy patients undergoing elective surgical resection of brain tissue; study group: epilepsy surgery=ESx.

Procedure: Epilepsy surgery

DE

Epilepsy patients undergoing elective depth electrodes insertion in general anesthesia; control group: depth electrodes=DE.

Procedure: Depth electrodes insertion

Interventions

Epilepsy surgery PROCEDURE

Epilepsy surgery is a procedure that removes an area of the brain where seizures originate.

ESx

Depth electrodes insertion PROCEDURE

Depth electrodes are inserted for monitoring/mapping the subsurface levels of the brain for the surgical treatment of epilepsy.

DE

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 16 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)
• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Epilepsy patients undergoing elective surgical resection of brain tissue (study group: Epilepsy surgery=ESx) or depth electrode insertion in general anesthesia (control group=DE).

You may qualify if:

• All epilepsy patients (minimum age: 16 years) undergoing elective surgical resection of brain tissue (study group) or depth electrode insertion in general anesthesia (control group) that give written consent after thorough study information.
• Patients must be able to understand the study concept and willing/able to document their most recent dream in written.

You may not qualify if:

• Inability to document their most recent dream in written (language barrier, illiteracy, low intelligence, mental disabilities). Age \<16 years.
• Relevant co-morbidities such as dementia, depression and other psychiatric disorders, Parkinson's disease.
• Previous cranial surgery in a relevant cortical area of the default dream network.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• London Health Sciences Centre: lead

Study Sites (1)

London Health Sciences Center, University Hospital

London, Ontario, N6A 5A5, Canada

Location

Related Publications (6)

• Domhoff GW, Schneider A. New rationales and methods for quantitative dream research outside the laboratory. Sleep. 1998 Jun 15;21(4):398-404. doi: 10.1093/sleep/21.4.398.

  PMID: 9646385 RESULT

• Schneider A, Domhoff GW. The Quantitative Study of Dreams. Retrieved December 13 2015: http://www.dreamresearch.net/.

  RESULT

• Domhoff GW, Fox KC. Dreaming and the default network: A review, synthesis, and counterintuitive research proposal. Conscious Cogn. 2015 May;33:342-53. doi: 10.1016/j.concog.2015.01.019. Epub 2015 Feb 24.

  PMID: 25723600 RESULT

• Solms M. Dreaming and REM sleep are controlled by different brain mechanisms. Behav Brain Sci. 2000 Dec;23(6):843-50; discussion 904-1121. doi: 10.1017/s0140525x00003988.

  PMID: 11515144 RESULT

• International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO). http://www.ilo.org/public/english/bureau/stat/isco/. Accessed 1st of August 2015.

  RESULT

• Bentes C, Costa J, Peralta R, Pires J, Sousa P, Paiva T. Dream recall frequency and content in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy. Epilepsia. 2011 Nov;52(11):2022-7. doi: 10.1111/j.1528-1167.2011.03290.x. Epub 2011 Oct 17.

  PMID: 22003885 RESULT

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Epilepsy

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Brain Diseases; Central Nervous System Diseases; Nervous System Diseases

Study Officials

• David A Steven, M.D.

  London Health Science Center

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: COHORT
• Time Perspective: PROSPECTIVE
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: David A. Steven, MD, MPH, FRCSC, FACS

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: April 2, 2016
• First Posted: April 7, 2016
• Study Start: March 1, 2016
• Primary Completion: June 30, 2018
• Study Completion: June 30, 2018
• Last Updated: February 20, 2020

Record last verified: 2020-02

Locations

CA (1)