EpilepsyNCT04095026
Study of Direct Brain Recording and Stimulation for Memory Enhancement
An observational study of Epilepsy, run by National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
Background: Epilepsy is a seizure disorder. Sometimes it is treated with surgery. During surgery, electrodes are placed on or in the brain. Researchers want to learn more about memory and the brain. They want to do tests on people who are having epilepsy surgery. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 65 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Epilepsy
- How many people
- 200 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 28 Oct 2016to 1 Jan 2027
- Phase
- Observational
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 65 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Study population: Patients who are considered for this protocol are those with medically intractable epilepsy and currently enrolled in 11-N-0051 Epilepsy Surgery. The patient population for this study is restricted to patients with medically intractable epilepsy because they require surgery for their condition. All participants in this study will require invasive monitoring as part of a clinical evaluation that may lead to subsequent resection of an epileptogenic focus. Enrollment will be equitable among those individuals who meet the inclusion criteria and will not be based on race, ethnicity, or gender.
Who may be able to join
- To be eligible for entry into the study, candidates must meet all the following criteria:
- Be enrolled in 11-N-0051 Epilepsy Surgery.
- Able to give informed consent.
- Age greater than or equal to 18 years and less than or equal to 65 years
Who cannot join
- Candidates will be excluded if they:
- -Have any disability that would limit their ability to perform study tasks that examine memory function.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
United States1 site
National Institutes of Health Clinical Center
Bethesda, Maryland, 20892
About this study
Official title: A Study of Direct Brain Recording and Stimulation for Memory Enhancement
Background:
- Epilepsy is a seizure disorder. Sometimes it is treated with surgery. During surgery, electrodes are placed on or in the brain. Researchers want to learn more about memory and the brain. They want to do tests on people who are having epilepsy surgery.
Read more
Objective:
- To learn more about memory and brain function by recording brain cell activity during memory tasks.
Eligibility:
- Adults age 18 - 65 who have medically intractable epilepsy and will have electrodes placed to identify the source of their seizures. They must be currently enrolled in protocol 11-N-0051.
Design:
- Participants may do memory tests before the electrodes are put in, while they are in place, and after surgery. Researchers may stimulate areas of the brain with small pulses of electricity.
- Researchers will start recording brain activity at least 12 hours after electrodes are placed. They will record while participants are awake and asleep. They will record before, during, and after seizures.
- Participants may have up to 3 testing sessions daily over the 1-3 weeks the electrodes are in place. Each session will last 20-60 minutes.
- Participants will play games on a laptop. Sometimes they may use a button or joystick. This can be done in bed in the hospital.
- Participants may be given a list of words and asked to recall them in a short time.
- Participants may be given pairs of items and asked to remember how they are related.
- Participants may be asked to learn their way around a virtual town on the computer. Their eye movements may be tracked by a small camera.
Read the detailed description
Objective
The primary objectives of this study are (1) to identify biomarkers of successful memory encoding and retrieval, and (2) to identify brain regions that can be stimulated to affect memory performance. The secondary objective is to identify biomarkers that can be used to predict cognitive impairment following resection surgery.
Study Population
One hundred (100) adult subjects with epilepsy who are enrolled in 11-N-0051 Epilepsy Surgery protocol.
Study Design
We plan to enroll individuals with drug resistant epilepsy who are enrolled in a separate protocol, 11-N-0051 Epilepsy Surgery, and who will undergo a neurosurgical procedure in which seizure activity and cognitive functions are mapped using intracranial electrodes in order to guide resection of seizure generating tissue. In this procedure, surgeons place electrodes solely based on clinical consideration with the goal of identifying the seizure focus (or foci) and also for purposes of functional mapping using electrical stimulation.
We propose to administer computerized memory tasks during the intracranial EEG monitoring period. Memory testing may also occur during other patient visits for protocol 11-N-0051. This testing may occur during a pre-surgical outpatient visit or during Phase 1 (pre-implantation) monitoring, to establish baseline memory performance, or after the resection surgery, to identify potential changes in memory performance due to the resection. All testing associated with this protocol will be done during visits or hospitalizations for 11-N-0051, and this protocol involves no additional study visits.
Some memory test sessions will include low-intensity electrical stimulation of the brain using the intracranial electrodes. During these sessions, brain stimulation trials will be interleaved with non- stimulation trials in a randomized fashion.
EEG recordings will be retrospectively analyzed for the presence of biomarkers that correlate with successful memory performance, and test performance will be compared between the stimulation and no-stimulation conditions.
The studies described here are voluntary and for research purpose only. They will not interfere with the clinical evaluation or decision-making process for epilepsy surgery.
Outcome Measures
The primary outcomes are (1) to identify biomarkers of successful memory encoding and retrieval, and (2) to identify brain regions that can be stimulated to affect memory performance. The secondary outcome is to identify biomarkers that can be used to predict cognitive impairment following resection surgery.
- Conditions
- Epilepsy
- Keywords
- Epilepsy, Cognitive Function, Memory, Seizures, Surgery, Natural History
- Medical subject headings
- Epilepsy, Seizures
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Patients | Patients age >18 years and <= 65 years enrolled in 11-N-0051 Epilepsy Surgery |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
to identify biomarkers of successful memory encoding and retrieval
We will compare brain recordings during memory encoding for items that are later recalled versus items that are not later recalled. For example, broadband oscillatory activity from electrodes in human temporal lobe has been shown to predict which items are later recalled
Measured: during visits/hospitalizations for 11-N-0051
to identify brain regions that can be stimulated to enhance memory performance
We will correlate task performance across a variety of memory tasks and electrode locations with stimulation parameters (e.g. frequency and amplitude), to identify those brain areas and stimulation parameters that increase task performance.
Measured: during visits/hospitalizations for 11-N-0051
Secondary outcomes (1)
to identify biomarkers that can be used to predict cognitive impairment following resection surgery
Measured: Ongoing
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted19 Sep 2019
- Study start28 Oct 2016
- Primary completion1 Jan 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion1 Jan 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for EpilepsyStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Observational
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Enrolment
- 200 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
- Sponsor type
- US National Institutes of Health
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Kareem A Zaghloul, M.D., Principal investigator, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04095026
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 150081
- Other IDs
- 15-N-0081
- Status last verified
- 20 May 2026
- First submitted
- 14 Sep 2019
- Last updated
- 16 Oct 2026
- Results posted
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Undecided: We do plan to share IPD. We will share all IPD that results in a publication on a public repository, as required by most journals. The data will be de-identified and anonymized.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 16 Oct 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- A Study of Direct Brain Recording and Stimulation for Memory Enhancement
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04095026
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 150081
- Conditions
- Epilepsy
- Keywords
- Epilepsy, Cognitive Function, Memory, Seizures, Surgery, Natural History
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Enrolling by invitation
- Enrolment
- 200 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)US National Institutes of Health
- Study start
- 28 Oct 2016 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 1 Jan 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 1 Jan 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 19 Sep 2019 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Background:
- Epilepsy is a seizure disorder. Sometimes it is treated with surgery. During surgery, electrodes are placed on or in the brain. Researchers want to learn more about memory and the brain. They want to do tests on people who are having epilepsy surgery.
Objective:
- To learn more about memory and brain function by recording brain cell activity during memory tasks.
Eligibility:
- Adults age 18 - 65 who have medically intractable epilepsy and will have electrodes placed to identify the source of their seizures. They must be currently enrolled in protocol 11-N-0051.
Design:
- Participants may do memory tests before the electrodes are put in, while they are in place, and after surgery. Researchers may stimulate areas of the brain with small pulses of electricity.
- Researchers will start recording brain activity at least 12 hours after electrodes are placed. They will record while participants are awake and asleep. They will record before, during, and after seizures.
- Participants may have up to 3 testing sessions daily over the 1-3 weeks the electrodes are in place. Each session will last 20-60 minutes.
- Participants will play games on a laptop. Sometimes they may use a button or joystick. This can be done in bed in the hospital.
- Participants may be given a list of words and asked to recall them in a short time.
- Participants may be given pairs of items and asked to remember how they are related.
- Participants may be asked to learn their way around a virtual town on the computer. Their eye movements may be tracked by a small camera.
Detailed description
Objective
The primary objectives of this study are (1) to identify biomarkers of successful memory encoding and retrieval, and (2) to identify brain regions that can be stimulated to affect memory performance. The secondary objective is to identify biomarkers that can be used to predict cognitive impairment following resection surgery.
Study Population
One hundred (100) adult subjects with epilepsy who are enrolled in 11-N-0051 Epilepsy Surgery protocol.
Study Design
We plan to enroll individuals with drug resistant epilepsy who are enrolled in a separate protocol, 11-N-0051 Epilepsy Surgery, and who will undergo a neurosurgical procedure in which seizure activity and cognitive functions are mapped using intracranial electrodes in order to guide resection of seizure generating tissue. In this procedure, surgeons place electrodes solely based on clinical consideration with the goal of identifying the seizure focus (or foci) and also for purposes of functional mapping using electrical stimulation.
We propose to administer computerized memory tasks during the intracranial EEG monitoring period. Memory testing may also occur during other patient visits for protocol 11-N-0051. This testing may occur during a pre-surgical outpatient visit or during Phase 1 (pre-implantation) monitoring, to establish baseline memory performance, or after the resection surgery, to identify potential changes in memory performance due to the resection. All testing associated with this protocol will be done during visits or hospitalizations for 11-N-0051, and this protocol involves no additional study visits.
Some memory test sessions will include low-intensity electrical stimulation of the brain using the intracranial electrodes. During these sessions, brain stimulation trials will be interleaved with non- stimulation trials in a randomized fashion.
EEG recordings will be retrospectively analyzed for the presence of biomarkers that correlate with successful memory performance, and test performance will be compared between the stimulation and no-stimulation conditions.
The studies described here are voluntary and for research purpose only. They will not interfere with the clinical evaluation or decision-making process for epilepsy surgery.
Outcome Measures
The primary outcomes are (1) to identify biomarkers of successful memory encoding and retrieval, and (2) to identify brain regions that can be stimulated to affect memory performance. The secondary outcome is to identify biomarkers that can be used to predict cognitive impairment following resection surgery.
Study design
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Patients | – | –Patients age >18 years and <= 65 years enrolled in 11-N-0051 Epilepsy Surgery |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 65 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
- Study population
- Patients who are considered for this protocol are those with medically intractable epilepsy and currently enrolled in 11-N-0051 Epilepsy Surgery. The patient population for this study is restricted to patients with medically intractable epilepsy because they require surgery for their condition. All participants in this study will require invasive monitoring as part of a clinical evaluation that may lead to subsequent resection of an epileptogenic focus. Enrollment will be equitable among those individuals who meet the inclusion criteria and will not be based on race, ethnicity, or gender.
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Be enrolled in 11-N-0051 Epilepsy Surgery.
- Able to give informed consent.
- Age greater than or equal to 18 years and less than or equal to 65 years
Key exclusion criteria (2 listed)
- -Have any disability that would limit their ability to perform study tasks that examine memory function.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Primary outcome
to identify biomarkers of successful memory encoding and retrieval
Time frame: during visits/hospitalizations for 11-N-0051
We will compare brain recordings during memory encoding for items that are later recalled versus items that are not later recalled. For example, broadband oscillatory activity from electrodes in human temporal lobe has been shown to predict which items are later recalled
to identify brain regions that can be stimulated to enhance memory performance
Time frame: during visits/hospitalizations for 11-N-0051
We will correlate task performance across a variety of memory tasks and electrode locations with stimulation parameters (e.g. frequency and amplitude), to identify those brain areas and stimulation parameters that increase task performance.
1 secondary outcome
to identify biomarkers that can be used to predict cognitive impairment following resection surgery
Time frame: Ongoing
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 16 Oct 2026.
- NIH Clinical Center Detailed Web PageLink provided by the sponsor.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Undecided. We do plan to share IPD. We will share all IPD that results in a publication on a public repository, as required by most journals. The data will be de-identified and anonymized.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
Kareem A Zaghloul, M.D. principal investigator
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of Epilepsy, run by National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 2 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: enrolling by invitation, as of the sponsor's last update on 16 Oct 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
to identify biomarkers of successful memory encoding and retrieval (time frame: during visits/hospitalizations for 11-N-0051). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 16 Oct 2026.