Epilepsy IntractableNCT07822178
Neural Mechanisms of Social Attribution From Faces
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 2 sites in United States.
Trial summary
The purpose of this study is to examine how the brain processes faces, which are some of the most important stimuli that we view, process, and make decisions about as we go through daily life. 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
- 100 participants
- Where
- 2 sitesUnited States
- Study dates
- 15 Dec 2023to 30 Nov 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
2 sites in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
United States2 sites
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Los Angeles, California, 90048
Stanford University
Palo Alto, California, 94304
About this study
The purpose of this study is to examine how the brain processes faces, which are some of the most important stimuli that we view, process, and make decisions about as we go through daily life. This project examines the dynamics of where and when in the brain information conveyed by faces is represented, how such information is modulated by context and goals, and how such information is used to make decisions about faces.
Read the detailed description
Despite the importance of faces for decision making, little is known about the neural mechanisms of how information conveyed by faces is extracted and used to inform decisions we make. The goal of this research is to develop a circuit-level understanding of face processing. 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 face processing. Aim 1: To determine the fast temporal dynamics of face processing. Aim 2: To modulate face-related neural activity with Contextual Information. Aim 3: To test the causal relevance of face-related neural activity.
The expected outcomes of this work are a characterization of how neural representations of faces are formed, how they enable making decisions about faces, and how the face-related neural activity is modulated by context.
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 and Stanford Hospital.
- 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, Face processing
- 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 representations of decision-related aspects of faces emerged in subjects that successfully performed the task
Measured: 5 years
Contextual modulation
Percentage of neurons that carry face-related information whose activity was modulated by context.
Measured: 5 years
Effect of electrical stimulation
Proportion of experiment sessions in which electrical stimulation modulated face-based decision making.
Measured: 5 years
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted16 Sep 2026
- Study start15 Dec 2023
- Primary completion30 Nov 2028 (estimated)
- Study completion30 Nov 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
- 100 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), Stanford University, California Institute of Technology
- 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 CenterJosef Parvizi, MD, PhD, Principal investigator, Stanford UniversityRalph Adolphs, PhD, Principal investigator, California Institute of Technology
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07822178
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- Study00000572 Part 2
- Other IDs
- R01MH134990
- Status last verified
- Sep 2026
- First submitted
- 10 Sep 2026
- Last updated
- 16 Sep 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No