The Epilepsy Research Group at Rigshospitalet is key to the development of precision medicine in epilepsy within the strategic research alliance BrainDrugs​ funded by the Lundbeck Foundation.  The head of the research group is Lars Pindborg. 

In BrainDrugs Epilepsy, we are actively recruiting patients together with other hospitals in the Capital Region to create a large prospective cohort of deeply phenotyped patients newly-diagnosed with epilepsy and with the firste epileptic seizure. We aim at identifying biomarkers (such as MR, PET, EEG, omics) and risk/protective factors that determine the effect of anti-seizure medication, cognitive, psychiatric and behavioral morbidity, and quality of life. 

Together with national and international collaborators, we strive to levitate all the information (big data) hidden in registries, electronic patient records, and databases of imaging data to increase our understanding of epilepsy and to be used in prediction models relevant to epilepsy patients.

Key collaborators: BrainDrugs see www.nru.dk/bde for an updated list

The Epilepsy Group at Rigshospitalet has for many years had interest in maternal and foetal well-being in association with maternal use of antiseizure medication during pregnancy.  This area of research is headed by Anne Sabers - mail anne.sabers@regionh.dk

We have for more than 20 years participated in the prospective international multi-centre study of pregnancies (EURAP) which is an observational study collecting data on patient’s demographics, type of epilepsy, seizure frequency, family history of malformations, drug therapy and of other potential risk factors is obtained, and follow-up data are collected once at each trimester, at birth and at one year after delivery. 

Collaborations: EURAP is a consortium of independent research groups working on a non-profit basis. The project is administratively organized by the Central Project Commission with members representing different geographical areas and disciplines, www.eurapinternational.org. 

 

Evaluating the risk of infertility in women with epilepsy. Women with epilepsy have fewer children compared to healthy women and the cause is considered multifactorial due to a combination of psychosocial and pathophysiological factors. With the current study, we investigate the anti-Müllerian hormone level in women with epilepsy compared with an age matched control group. 

Collaborations: The research is conducted in collaboration with the Fertility Department Rigshospitalet

The Epilepsy Clinic, Rigshospitalet, has for several years had interest in transition and adolescents with epilepsy a research are which Hanne Mørk Christensen are in the lead of - mail hanne.moerk.christensen@regionh.dk​

Adolescents with epilepsy are particularly vulnerable as literature has shown significant psycho-social difficulties even if the epilepsy is well controlled. Poor transition from pediatric to adult neurology and failed compliance might contribute to make their situation even worse.

We are participating in a national project developing and testing a program supporting transition from child to adolescents to adult for people with epilepsy. The goal of this multidisciplinary program is to support the adolescent’s autonomy and responsibility for own disease to ensure optimal treatment of the epilepsy and to minimize the risk of phyco-social co-morbidity. 

We participate in industry- and investigator-driven national and international clinical drug studies. Noemi Becser Andersen has the overview of active trials in the Epilepsy Clinic - mail noemi.becser.andersen.01@regionh.dk​

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