Basic Experimental Study of Hippocampal Memory Functions

Launched by UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO · Jul 7, 2023

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This study is trying to understand how the human hippocampus (a part of the brain important for memory) helps people form memories by guiding where they look and how they process what they see. Researchers will record brain activity directly from electrodes that are already implanted for epilepsy treatment (iEEG) while participants do eye-tracking memory tasks, such as viewing scenes or grids of objects and then taking memory tests. The study tests six different experimental conditions, including some where researchers test different ways of studying or where electrical stimulation is used on certain brain areas. It aims to see changes in brain signals (theta power) and how brain activity lines up with eye movements. The project is randomized and uses a crossover design, with about 66 people planned to enroll, and results are not available yet.

Eligible participants are adults aged 18 to 45 who speak English and have normal or corrected vision. In practice, participants will be people with epilepsy who are already undergoing brain monitoring as part of their clinical care. If you join, you may take part in multiple sessions during hospital visits, each lasting about 1.5 hours, and some sessions may involve electrical stimulation of specific brain areas on select trials. To protect privacy, data will be de-identified and shared with researchers through the NIH Data Archive after they are collected. As with any research, there is no guaranteed personal benefit, but the study aims to improve understanding of memory formation and could inform treatments for memory problems in neurological or psychiatric conditions.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Age 18+ years old
• • Native English speakers.
• • Normal or corrected-to-normal near and far vision.