Brain surgery patients help scientists decode the sense of smell
NCT ID NCT07386236
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This study looks at how the brain recognizes different smells. Researchers will record brain activity from epilepsy patients who are already undergoing brain surgery. Participants will smell various odors and rate what they perceive. The goal is to find patterns in brain signals that correspond to odor identity, which could improve our understanding of the olfactory system.
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 could reveal how the brain processes smells, potentially aiding future treatments for smell disorders.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage observational study with only 28 participants. It is not testing any treatment, so direct medical benefits are unlikely.
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 28 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Mar 2025
- Expected to finish
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Oct 2028
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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12 to 65 years
- 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: * Ages 12 to 65, english speaker, patients undergoing brain surgery for treatment of medically intractable epilepsy Exclusion Criteria: * screening for history of smell or taste problems
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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
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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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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Northwestern University
RECRUITINGChicago, Illinois, 60611, United States