Scientists peek inside the brain to unlock memory secrets
NCT ID NCT04500119
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Sep 18, 2026 · Updated 3 times
Summary
This study looks at how the brain learns, remembers, and makes decisions. Researchers will record brain activity from 200 epilepsy patients who already have electrodes implanted for medical monitoring. Participants perform simple computer tasks while their brain signals are measured. The goal is to understand memory better, not to test a new treatment.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this research could point toward new treatments for memory disorders like Alzheimer's or brain injury.
- What could go wrong
- This is an observational study, not a treatment trial. It only measures brain activity, so it won't directly help participants. Results may not lead to therapies for years.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 200 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Aug 2020
- Expected to finish
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Jul 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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13 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Intractable epilepsy, undergoing invasive monitoring * Age ≥13 * Full Scale Intelligence Quotient \> 70 * Ability to comprehend and perform simple behavioral tasks by pressing buttons on laptop computer in response to questions. Exclusion Criteria: * 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.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
The full official record for this study. This one lists no contact details, but it is the first place any would appear.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Los Angeles, California, 90048, United States
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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