How the brain keeps perceptions going over time
CRCNS: Computations and Neural Mechanisms in Sustained Perception in Humans
This work looks at how the brain keeps seeing and holding onto images and other things by recording brain signals from people who have electrodes placed for medical reasons.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California Berkeley NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Berkeley, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11189803 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you take part, researchers will record electrical activity directly from parts of the brain while you view longer images and videos to see how perceptions persist. They will compare brain signals from visual areas and fronto-parietal areas while changing attention and whether you are aware of the stimulus. The team will use advanced computer analyses and models to decode what information is stored and how different brain regions interact during sustained perception. The data come from patients who already have implanted electrodes for clinical monitoring, and students in the lab will help run experiments under expert supervision.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people already undergoing clinical intracranial electrode monitoring (for example, epilepsy patients) who can perform simple visual tasks during their hospital stay.
Not a fit: People not undergoing clinical brain monitoring or those expecting immediate clinical benefit are unlikely to gain direct health improvements from participating in this basic-neuroscience work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could improve understanding of attention and awareness and eventually guide treatments for disorders that affect sustained perception and focus.
How similar studies have performed: Previous studies have successfully decoded brief visual perceptions from brain recordings, but using intracranial signals to understand sustained perception over longer times is relatively new and less explored.
Where this research is happening
Berkeley, United States
- University of California Berkeley — Berkeley, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sommer, Friedrich T — University of California Berkeley
- Study coordinator: Sommer, Friedrich T
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.