Posterior Cingulate Cortex and Executive Control of Episodic Memory

Status: Recruiting
Location: See location...
Intervention Type: Behavioral
Study Type: Interventional
Study Phase: Not Applicable
SUMMARY

This project will use intracranial recordings and stimulation of the human brain to understand the unique contributions of the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) to episodic memory behavior. The goal is to test how distinct subregions of the PCC differentially contribute to memory-based decisions (e.g., have I seen this picture before?). The ability to perform invasive studies of the human brain is through routine clinical monitoring of brain activity which occurs during the neurosurgical treatment of epilepsy. However, this project only focuses on the basic science of PCC and memory behavior. Specifically, the investigators will use single-0cell and population measures of brain activity to test a new theory of PCC function which focuses on the executive processes needed to support memory retrieval and memory-based decisions. By studying the PCC, a convergence zone of memory and executive brain systems, progress can be made in elucidating how the failure to successfully leverage past experiences in daily behavior can occur as a common symptom of both neurodegenerative disease (e.g., Alzheimer's disease) and multiple psychiatric conditions (e.g., schizophrenia) implicating PCC dysfunction.

Eligibility
Participation Requirements
Sex: All
Minimum Age: 18
Maximum Age: 50
Healthy Volunteers: f
View:

• All participants are patients undergoing invasive brain monitoring for epilepsy and will be asked to consent to participation in this basic science protocol (which is focused on the patient group but is not focused on the study of epilepsy).

Locations
United States
Pennsylvania
Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania - Pavilion
RECRUITING
Philadelphia
Contact Information
Primary
Ilaina Edelstein
Ilaina.Edelstein@Pennmedicine.upenn.edu
2156153525
Backup
Brett Foster
Brett.Foster@Pennmedicine.upenn.edu
2156153525
Time Frame
Start Date: 2023-01-18
Estimated Completion Date: 2027-04-30
Participants
Target number of participants: 130
Treatments
Experimental: Experiment 1 - episodic / executive switch
All enrolled participants will be asked to perform experiment 1, which is a cognitive task involving the switch between performing episodic memory decisions (e.g., did you eat fruit yesterday?) and executive decisions (e.g. ...does 5+3+8 = 17?). Participants will perform this computer-based task while electrical brain activity is recorded from the posterior cingulate cortex, hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. This task takes 18 minutes to complete.
Experimental: Experiment 2 - executive decision task
All enrolled participants will be asked to perform experiment 2, which is a cognitive task involving reward-based decisions between two options. For each decision, the two options will differ in their risk and reward (e.g., 100% chance of 10 points vs. 30% chance of 50 points). Participants will perform this computer-based task while electrical brain activity is recorded from the posterior cingulate cortex, hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. This task takes 15 minutes to complete.
Experimental: Experiment 3 - episodic decision task
All enrolled participants will be asked to perform experiment 3, which is a cognitive task involving memory-based decisions between two options (pictures of people). For each decision, the two pictures will differ in memory strength and reward (e.g., familiar picture for 10 points vs. unfamiliar picture 50 points). Memory strength for each picture will be defined by how many times the picture was previously shown (e.g., 2 vs. 10 presentations) prior to performing the memory decision task. Participants will perform this computer-based task while electrical brain activity is recorded from the posterior cingulate cortex, hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. This task takes 15 minutes to complete.
Sponsors
Leads: University of Pennsylvania

This content was sourced from clinicaltrials.gov