EpilepsyNCT07834983
Time-Domain Heart Rate Variability and QT Interval in Children With Epilepsy
An observational study of Epilepsy and Pediatric Epilepsy, run by Assiut University.
Trial summary
Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder characterized by recurrent unprovoked seizures, but it can also affect the autonomic nervous system and cardiovascular function. Certain anti-epileptic medications and seizure activity may influence cardiac rhythm, beat-to-beat heart rate variability (HRV), and ventricular… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 1 year to 18 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Epilepsy, Pediatric Epilepsy, Autonomic Dysfunction
- How many people
- 60 participants
- Where
- No sites listed yet
- Study dates
- Oct 2026to Nov 2027
- Phase
- Observational
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 1 year to 18 years
- All sexes
- Child, Adult
Study population: Eligible children aged 1 to 18 years presenting to the Pediatric Neurology Department at Assiut University Children's Hospital, Assiut, Egypt. The population comprises pediatric patients with a confirmed diagnosis of epilepsy according to ILAE criteria maintained on anti-epileptic monotherapy or polytherapy for at least 3 months, alongside age- and sex-matched healthy controls.
Who may be able to join
- Age between 1 and 18 years
- Confirmed diagnosis of epilepsy according to International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) criteria (for epileptic cohorts)
- Receiving anti-epileptic medication for 3 months or more (for epileptic cohorts)
- Healthy children matched by age and sex (for control cohort)
Who cannot join
- Age younger than 1 year or older than 18 years
- Structural heart disease
- Chronic systemic illness
- Acute illness at the time of study evaluation
- Concurrent use of medications known to affect cardiac conduction or autonomic tone
About this study
Official title: Time-Domain Heart Rate Variability and QT Interval in Children With Epilepsy Receiving Anti-Epileptic Drugs
Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder characterized by recurrent unprovoked seizures, but it can also affect the autonomic nervous system and cardiovascular function. Certain anti-epileptic medications and seizure activity may influence cardiac rhythm, beat-to-beat heart rate variability (HRV), and ventricular repolarization (measured by the QT interval). The primary purpose of this study is to evaluate autonomic tone and cardiac electrical conduction in children with epilepsy receiving anti-epileptic drugs by measuring time-domain HRV and the corrected QT (QTc) interval, comparing patients on monotherapy, patients on polytherapy, and healthy controls.
A total of 60 children aged 1 to 18 years will be enrolled across three groups: 20 children with epilepsy receiving single-drug therapy (monotherapy), 20 children with epilepsy receiving two or more medications (polytherapy), and 20 healthy children serving as controls.
Read more
All participants will complete non-invasive assessments during a single visit, including:
- Collection of clinical and demographic data (age, sex, epilepsy duration, and medication details)
- A standard 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) to measure the QT interval and calculate the QTc using Fridericia's formula
- A 5-minute continuous resting ECG recorded in a supine position after 10 minutes of quiet rest to calculate time-domain HRV parameters (SDNN, RMSSD, and pNN50)
The findings aim to detect early autonomic or electrophysiological alterations, aiding in the understanding of cardiac safety in pediatric epilepsy management.
- Keywords
- Heart rate variability, HRV, QT interval, QTc, Antiepileptic drugs, Antiseizure medications, Time-domain HRV, SDNN, Electrocardiography, Monotherapy vs polytherapy
- Medical subject headings
- Epilepsy, Primary Dysautonomias, Arrhythmias, Cardiac
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Group I: Monotherapy | Children aged 1 to 18 years diagnosed with epilepsy according to International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) criteria who have been receiving a single anti-epileptic medication for at least 3 months. Participants undergo a standard 12-lead ECG for corrected QT interval (QTc) calculation and a 5-minute short-term resting ECG in the supine position for time-domain heart rate variability (HRV) assessment | |
| Group II: Polytherapy | Children aged 1 to 18 years diagnosed with epilepsy according to International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) criteria who have been receiving two or more anti-epileptic medications for at least 3 months. Participants undergo a standard 12-lead ECG for corrected QT interval (QTc) calculation and a 5-minute short-term resting ECG in the supine position for time-domain heart rate variability (HRV) assessment. | |
| Group III: Healthy Controls | Age- and sex-matched healthy children aged 1 to 18 years without a diagnosis of epilepsy, structural heart disease, acute concurrent illness, or chronic systemic disorders. Participants undergo identical evaluation, including a standard 12-lead ECG for QTc calculation and a 5-minute short-term resting ECG in the supine position for time-domain HRV assessment. |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Corrected QT Interval (QTc)
Corrected QT interval (reported in milliseconds) measured from a standard 12-lead ECG recorded at standard velocity and amplitude. The QT interval is measured in lead V5 (or lead II if lead V5 is unsuitable) across three consecutive cardiac cycles and averaged. QTc is calculated using Fridericia's formula: QTc = QT / RR^(1/3).
Measured: Baseline
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted22 Sep 2026
- Study startOct 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completionOct 2027 (estimated)
- Study completionNov 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for EpilepsyStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Assiut UniversityThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Observational
- Observational model
- Case-control
- Time perspective
- Cross-sectional
- Enrolment
- 60 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Assiut University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Taha Muhammad Amin, Assiut University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07834983
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- HRV & QT in Pediatric Epilepsy
- Status last verified
- Sep 2026
- First submitted
- 15 Sep 2026
- Last updated
- 22 Sep 2026
- Results posted
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 22 Sep 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Time-Domain Heart Rate Variability and QT Interval in Children With Epilepsy Receiving Anti-Epileptic Drugs
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07834983
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- HRV & QT in Pediatric Epilepsy
- Keywords
- Heart rate variability, HRV, QT interval, QTc, Antiepileptic drugs, Antiseizure medications, Time-domain HRV, SDNN
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Not yet recruiting
- Enrolment
- 60 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Assiut UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- Oct 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- Oct 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Nov 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 22 Sep 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder characterized by recurrent unprovoked seizures, but it can also affect the autonomic nervous system and cardiovascular function. Certain anti-epileptic medications and seizure activity may influence cardiac rhythm, beat-to-beat heart rate variability (HRV), and ventricular repolarization (measured by the QT interval). The primary purpose of this study is to evaluate autonomic tone and cardiac electrical conduction in children with epilepsy receiving anti-epileptic drugs by measuring time-domain HRV and the corrected QT (QTc) interval, comparing patients on monotherapy, patients on polytherapy, and healthy controls.
A total of 60 children aged 1 to 18 years will be enrolled across three groups: 20 children with epilepsy receiving single-drug therapy (monotherapy), 20 children with epilepsy receiving two or more medications (polytherapy), and 20 healthy children serving as controls.
All participants will complete non-invasive assessments during a single visit, including:
- Collection of clinical and demographic data (age, sex, epilepsy duration, and medication details)
- A standard 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) to measure the QT interval and calculate the QTc using Fridericia's formula
- A 5-minute continuous resting ECG recorded in a supine position after 10 minutes of quiet rest to calculate time-domain HRV parameters (SDNN, RMSSD, and pNN50)
The findings aim to detect early autonomic or electrophysiological alterations, aiding in the understanding of cardiac safety in pediatric epilepsy management.
Study design
- Observational model
- Case-control
- Time perspective
- Cross-sectional
- Number of arms
- 3
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Group I: Monotherapy | – | –Children aged 1 to 18 years diagnosed with epilepsy according to International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) criteria who have been receiving a single anti-epileptic medication for at least 3 months. Participants undergo a standard 12-lead ECG for corrected QT interval (QTc) calculation and a 5-minute short-term resting ECG in the supine position for time-domain heart rate variability (HRV) assessment |
| Group II: Polytherapy | – | –Children aged 1 to 18 years diagnosed with epilepsy according to International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) criteria who have been receiving two or more anti-epileptic medications for at least 3 months. Participants undergo a standard 12-lead ECG for corrected QT interval (QTc) calculation and a 5-minute short-term resting ECG in the supine position for time-domain heart rate variability (HRV) assessment. |
| Group III: Healthy Controls | – | –Age- and sex-matched healthy children aged 1 to 18 years without a diagnosis of epilepsy, structural heart disease, acute concurrent illness, or chronic systemic disorders. Participants undergo identical evaluation, including a standard 12-lead ECG for QTc calculation and a 5-minute short-term resting ECG in the supine position for time-domain HRV assessment. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 1 year to 18 years
- Sex
- All
- Age groups
- Child, Adult
- Study population
- Eligible children aged 1 to 18 years presenting to the Pediatric Neurology Department at Assiut University Children's Hospital, Assiut, Egypt. The population comprises pediatric patients with a confirmed diagnosis of epilepsy according to ILAE criteria maintained on anti-epileptic monotherapy or polytherapy for at least 3 months, alongside age- and sex-matched healthy controls.
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Age between 1 and 18 years
- Confirmed diagnosis of epilepsy according to International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) criteria (for epileptic cohorts)
- Receiving anti-epileptic medication for 3 months or more (for epileptic cohorts)
- Healthy children matched by age and sex (for control cohort)
Key exclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Age younger than 1 year or older than 18 years
- Structural heart disease
- Chronic systemic illness
- Acute illness at the time of study evaluation
- Concurrent use of medications known to affect cardiac conduction or autonomic tone
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Primary outcome
Corrected QT Interval (QTc)
Time frame: Baseline
Corrected QT interval (reported in milliseconds) measured from a standard 12-lead ECG recorded at standard velocity and amplitude. The QT interval is measured in lead V5 (or lead II if lead V5 is unsuitable) across three consecutive cardiac cycles and averaged. QTc is calculated using Fridericia's formula: QTc = QT / RR^(1/3).
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 22 Sep 2026.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of Epilepsy and Pediatric Epilepsy, run by Assiut University.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 5 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: opening soon, as of the sponsor's last update on 22 Sep 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Corrected QT Interval (QTc) (time frame: Baseline). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 22 Sep 2026.