← Back to Search

Behavioural Intervention

Cognitive Demands and Electrical Stimulation in Memory Function Research

N/A

Waitlist Available

Led By Joel Voss, PhD

Research Sponsored by University of Chicago

Eligibility Criteria Checklist

Specific guidelines that determine who can or cannot participate in a clinical trial

Must have

Be between 18 and 65 years old

Timeline

Screening 3 weeks

Treatment Varies

Follow Up outcome assessed 5 minutes after intervention

Awards & highlights

No Placebo-Only Group

Summary

This trial tests how the hippocampus helps form memories by influencing how we look at things. It'll measure and manipulate activity in the hippocampus, and use direct electrical stimulation to test its role in helping us remember.

Who is the study for?

This study is for adults over 18 with normal or corrected vision who speak English natively. It's designed for individuals with epilepsy undergoing neurosurgical procedures, allowing researchers to record and stimulate brain activity directly.

What is being tested?

The trial investigates how the hippocampus influences memory formation and visual processing. Participants will perform eye-tracking tasks while receiving different cognitive challenges and electrical stimulations to their brains.

What are the potential side effects?

Since this research involves people already in clinical care for epilepsy, side effects are related to standard risks of iEEG such as discomfort at electrode sites, potential infection risk, and possible transient impact on memory or attention.

Timeline

Screening ~ 3 weeks3 visits

Treatment ~ Varies

Follow Up ~ outcome assessed 5 minutes after intervention

Screening ~ 3 weeks

Treatment ~ Varies

Follow Up ~outcome assessed 5 minutes after intervention

This trial's timeline: 3 weeks for screening, Varies for treatment, and outcome assessed 5 minutes after intervention for reporting.

Treatment Details

Study Objectives

Study objectives can provide a clearer picture of what you can expect from a treatment.

Primary study objectives

iEEG phase synchrony to eye movement

iEEG theta band power

Secondary study objectives

Eye movements

Memory task performance

Awards & Highlights

No Placebo-Only Group

All patients enrolled in this study will receive some form of active treatment.

Trial Design

6Treatment groups

Experimental Treatment

Group I: Experiment 6Experimental Treatment1 Intervention

The same group of 20 iEEG subjects that are included in Study Experiment Condition 5 will perform the same eye-tracking memory task as described for Study Experiment Condition 2. This experiment condition will be performed on a different day of the inpatient visit than participation in Study Experiment Condition 5.

Group II: Experiment 5Experimental Treatment1 Intervention

Subjects with iEEG electrodes implanted will perform the same eye-tracking memory task as described for Study Experiment Condition 1. This is a different group of iEEG subjects selected based on having iEEG electrodes implanted in the hippocampus as well as in at least one location of the Dorsal Attention Network (DAN), which is a region of interest for the experiment condition. 20 subjects undergoing iEEG recordings as part of epilepsy treatment will be assigned to this study experiment condition.

Group III: Experiment 4Experimental Treatment2 Interventions

The same 20 subjects with iEEG electrodes implanted who perform Study Experiment Condition 1 will perform the same eye-tracking memory task described for Study Experiment Condition 2. For these subjects, high-frequency electrical stimulation will be delivered through the iEEG electrodes on a subset of study trials, with half of stimulated trials receiving stimulation of the hippocampus and the other half receiving stimulation of the amygdala. This memory task will take about 1.5 hours to complete and will be performed on a different day of their inpatient visit than the procedures for Study Experiment Condition 1.

Group IV: Experiment 3Experimental Treatment2 Interventions

The same 20 subjects with iEEG electrodes implanted who perform Study Experiment Condition 2 will perform the same eye-tracking memory task described for Study Experiment Condition 1. For these subjects, high-frequency electrical stimulation will be delivered through the iEEG electrodes on a subset of study trials, with half of stimulated trials receiving stimulation of the hippocampus and the other half receiving stimulation of the amygdala. This memory task will take about 1.5 hours to complete and will be performed on a different day of their inpatient visit than the procedures for Study Experiment Condition 2.

Group V: Experiment 2Experimental Treatment1 Intervention

Subjects with iEEG electrodes implanted will perform an eye-tracking memory task in which they view arrays of everyday objects arranged as a grid and later undergo memory testing for these object image arrays. Half of the object-image arrays are studied actively (subjects view objects in any order they wish) and half are studied passively (viewing patterns are predetermined and subjects must follow along). For the memory test, subjects attempt to pick studied objects from among novel (foil) objects and replace them at studied locations using the computer mouse. Eye movements will be remotely (noninvasively) tracked using a camera during the study phases. This memory task will take about 1.5 hours to complete. 20 subjects undergoing iEEG recordings as part of epilepsy treatment will be assigned to this study experiment condition.

Group VI: Experiment 1Experimental Treatment1 Intervention

Subjects with iEEG electrodes implanted will perform an eye-tracking memory task in which they view pictures of naturalistic scenes and later undergo memory testing for these scene pictures. For the memory test, studied scenes will be repeated and presented along with novel (foil) scenes. Subjects will attempt to discriminate studied from novel scenes using button press responses. Eye movements will be remotely (noninvasively) tracked using a camera during both study and test. This memory task will take about 1.5 hours to complete. 20 subjects undergoing iEEG recordings as part of epilepsy treatment will be assigned to this study experiment condition.

Do I qualify?Apply below to find out