Electrical stimulation to influence visual perception and attention
Electrical stimulation to control feedback modulation of perception
Doctors will use mild electrical pulses through implanted brain electrodes to alter how people see and focus their attention.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Mayo Clinic Rochester NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Rochester, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11123464 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If I take part, doctors will use depth electrodes already placed for clinical epilepsy monitoring to deliver small electrical pulses to brain areas that send feedback to the visual cortex. They will record how those pulses change signals in my ventral temporal cortex while I view images or perform attention tasks. The team will combine these recordings with diffusion MRI scans and computer models to map the pathways and predict how stimulation changes perception. The work aims to reveal how higher brain areas sculpt sensory processing.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are patients who already have sEEG depth electrodes placed for clinical epilepsy monitoring and can safely undergo brief experimental stimulation.
Not a fit: People without implanted electrodes or those not undergoing epilepsy monitoring are unlikely to be eligible or directly benefit from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new ways to modulate perception and attention that may help people with visual or attentional problems.
How similar studies have performed: Previous intracranial recordings and stimulation in epilepsy patients have shown that electrical pulses can change perception, but using targeted feedback stimulation of ventral temporal pathways is a newer and more experimental approach.
Where this research is happening
Rochester, United States
- Mayo Clinic Rochester — Rochester, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hermes, Dora — Mayo Clinic Rochester
- Study coordinator: Hermes, Dora
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.