Medical Student Research Fellowship for Summer 2012

Mentor:  Paul C. Van Ness, M.D.               
Department:   Neurology and Neurotherapeutics 
Room number:   E1.202      
Mail Code:   8508
Phone number:   214-648-6721     
E-mail:  Paul.Van_Ness@utsouthwestern.edu                 
Project title:    C-SSRS in patients with epilepsy from various ethnic groups   

Human subjects IRB approved project number (where applicable):       Pending

Animal subjects IRB approved project number (where applicable):      

Project Type (patient-based research, animal-based research, or basic research; this characterization is only to permit a general classification for grouping similar types of projects)   Patient Based

Brief Description of Project:

The project is aimed on examining the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) – a new FDA mandated screening guideline for AED drug trials and along the way, answer the following questions:

1. Does the C-SSRS test differ between ethnic groups, age groups, and the gender?
2. What is the prevalence of Suicidal history and ideation in diverse epilepsy populations?
3. How many patients are excluded from drug studies based on the C-SSRS test?

This summer, there is potential to screen 400-500 subjects from three major ethnic groups – Caucasians, African Americans and Hispanics. Subjects will be sought from the UT Southwestern epilepsy department, Parkland Epilepsy Clinic and Aston Clinic. With this amount of population in the project, a power analysis will then be used to see if there an any relationships and whether the test is valid or not for epilepsy patients.

Previous Research Activities or Publications with Medical Students:

2001-2002 Jeremy Salas – Asymmetric Tonic Limb Posturing In Generalized and Focal Epilepsy

2010-2011 Gordon Mao – Prolonged Intracranial EEG Recordings in Bitemporal Epilepsy Outpatients