Epilepsy IntractableNCT07454785
Neuronal Mechanisms of Learning and Utilizing Abstract Representations
A study testing Cedrus RB-844 response pad; Adtech Behnke-Fried micro-electrodes; Neurolynx electrophysiology system; Blackrock Cerestim stimulator in people with Epilepsy Intractable, run by Cedars-Sinai Medical Center at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
The purpose of this study is to examine how memories of past experiences are used to guide behavior in novel situations through the cognitive process of abstraction. This project examines how abstract representations are learned, whether and how they support generalization to novel situations, and whether and how they… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Epilepsy Intractable
- What is being tested?
- Cedrus RB-844 response pad; Adtech Behnke-Fried micro-electrodes; Neurolynx electrophysiology system; Blackrock Cerestim stimulator
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 114 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 30 Mar 2026to 31 Aug 2028
- Phase
- Interventional
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 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Intractable epilepsy, undergoing invasive monitoring
- Age ≥18
- Full Scale Intelligence Quotient > 70
- Ability to comprehend and perform simple behavioral tasks by pressing buttons on laptop computer in response to questions.
Who cannot join
- Determination by clinicians and investigators that a patient is unable to complete the behavioral tasks required for the protocol due to either cognitive limits, psychological limits, or pain.
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
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Los Angeles, California, 90048
About this study
The purpose of this study is to examine how memories of past experiences are used to guide behavior in novel situations through the cognitive process of abstraction. This project examines how abstract representations are learned, whether and how they support generalization to novel situations, and whether and how they support analogical reasoning.
Read the detailed description
Despite the importance of abstraction for human cognition, little is known about the underlying mechanisms and their disruption by disease or injury. The goal of this research is to develop a circuit-level understanding of abstraction to enable the development of new treatments for the devastating effects of cognitive disorders in which abstraction fails. As part of this study, investigators will conduct experiments that utilize the rare opportunity to record in-vivo from human single neurons simultaneously in multiple brain areas in patients undergoing treatment for drug resistant epilepsy.
Researchers will investigate three overarching hypotheses on the neural substrate of abstraction. Aim 1: to determine the dynamics of learning abstract representations. Aim 2: to decipher how abstract representations facilitate generalization. Aim 3: to decipher how abstract representations facilitate analogical reasoning.
The expected outcomes of this work are a characterization of how abstract neural representations are formed, how they enable generalization to novel stimuli and tasks, and how they enable analogical reasoning.
Participants in this study are patients undergoing invasive monitoring for suspected focal epilepsy with depth electrodes. Subjects will conduct a variety of cognitive tests on a computer placed in front of them during their hospital stay. Participating hospitals in this study are Cedars-Sinai, UC Davis, and Barrow Neurological Institute.
- Conditions
- Epilepsy Intractable
- Being tested
- Cedrus RB-844 response pad; Adtech Behnke-Fried micro-electrodes; Neurolynx electrophysiology system; Blackrock Cerestim stimulator
- Keywords
- Epilepsy, Decision-making, Memory, Depth Electrode
- Medical subject headings
- Drug Resistant Epilepsy, Epilepsy
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Cedrus RB-844 response pad; Adtech Behnke-Fried micro-electrodes; Neurolynx electrophysiology system; Blackrock Cerestim stimulatorBehavioural
Devices listed are components of a single intervention that includes: Record patient responses (Cedrus RB-844), record neuronal activity (Neurolynx) from electrodes (Adtech Behnke-Fried), apply intermittent electrical stimulation (Blackrock Cerestim)
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Behavioral Testing | Experimental | Behavioral testing and neuronal recordings Receives: Behavioral: Cedrus RB-844 response pad; Adtech Behnke-Fried micro-electrodes; Neurolynx electrophysiology system; Blackrock Cerestim stimulator |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Neuronal population activity
Proportion of experiment sessions in which abstract representation emerged following successful learning of the task by the subject.
Measured: 3 years
Facilitation of generalization
Strength of correlation between the presence of abstract representations at the neuronal level and the subjects ability to perform generalization.
Measured: 3 years
Effect of electrical stimulation
Proportion of experiment sessions in which electrical stimulation to the hippocampus disrupted abstract representations.
Measured: 3 years
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted6 Mar 2026
- Study start30 Mar 2026
- Primary completion31 Aug 2028 (estimated)
- Study completion31 Aug 2028 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Epilepsy IntractableStudies 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
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 114 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- University of California, Davis, Barrow Neurological Institute, Columbia University, University of California, Los Angeles, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Adam Mamelak, MD, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
- Investigators
- Ueli Rutishauser, PhD, Principal investigator, Cedars-Sinai Medical CenterAdam Mamelak, MD, Principal investigator, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07454785
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- Study00000572 Part 1
- Other IDs
- R61DC022835
- Status last verified
- Jun 2026
- First submitted
- 5 Feb 2026
- Last updated
- 15 Sep 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No