Faculty

Kelsey M. Smith, M.D.

Clinical Studies

Prevalence and predictors of antineuronal antibody positivity in three cohorts of epilepsy with different risks of autoimmune epilepsy Rochester, Minn.
The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence, diagnostic accuracy and predictors of antinueronal antibody positivity in serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients iwth focal epilepsy of unknown cause (high) compared to patients with epilepsy of known cause (intermediate) and idiopathic genetic generallized epilepsy (low).

Open Label Single Center Trial Evaluating the Efficacy and Safety of Diazepam in GAD65 Associated Epilepsy Rochester, Minn.
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of Diazepam in the treatment of high-titer GAD65 associated epilepsy. Subjects will be screened at outpatient clinic visit appointments and identified from lists of patients previously evaluated. There will be a 4-week baseline period where patients will track their seizures. The patient will then be treated with diazepam 5 mg twice daily for 1 week and if tolerating will increase to 10 mg twice daily. Treatment will be continued on the trial for 6 months. Efficacy will be looked at after 2 months of treatment, but the study will be extended to look at tolerability through 6 months. Seizure frequency on treatment will be compared to baseline frequency.