Spatial scene memory testing for people with temporal lobe epilepsy having surgery
Official title: Investigations of Spatial Recognition Memory to Improve Cognitive Outcomes in Epilepsy Surgery
Run by University of California, Davis · NCT07580183 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project tests whether a virtual tour memory task combined with brain recordings can show how adults with temporal lobe epilepsy recognize and recall places.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 18 Years to 55 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 620 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | University of California, Davis Academic / other |
| Locations | 2 sites (Sacramento, California and 1 other locations) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | July 1, 2024 |
| Main results expected | June 30, 2030 |
| Study ends | June 30, 2030 |
| Registry record updated | May 12, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT07580183 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal candidates are adults (≥18) with focal or temporal lobe epilepsy undergoing evaluation or surgery (IQ ≥ 70, English proficient) and, for the healthy control arm, age-eligible adults without neurological or psychiatric disorder.
✕Probably not a fit
People under 18, those with IQ below 70, non-English speakers, patients not treated at the participating centers, and those over 55 (for the intracranial component) are unlikely to receive direct benefit from participation.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
The study separates familiarity-based recognition from recollection using a validated virtual tour task and combines three complementary approaches. At Emory, voxel-based lesion-symptom mapping will be performed in a large cohort of surgical patients (~310) with additional controls (~150) alongside MRI and neuropsychological testing. At UC Davis, scalp event-related potentials and eye tracking will be recorded in about 80 healthy adults to characterize temporal dynamics and lateralization. In patients undergoing stereoelectroencephalography (~80), intracranial LFP and single-unit recordings using research micro-macro electrodes will capture neural activity related to scene recognition.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could produce tools to better predict and preserve memory after epilepsy surgery and improve counseling and surgical planning.
How similar studies have gone: Prior lesion-mapping, scalp ERP, eye-tracking, and intracranial recording studies have advanced understanding of memory, but combining large-scale lesion mapping with multi-site intracranial single-unit recordings is relatively novel.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Age 18 years or older * For Aims I and III: Diagnosis of focal epilepsy or temporal lobe lesion; patients undergoing evaluation for or having undergone epilepsy surgery * For Aim II: Healthy adult participants * Full-Scale IQ ≥ 70 * English proficiency sufficient to understand and complete the task * For Aim I: Enrolled in or eligible for Emory University epilepsy surgery research registry * For Aim III: Undergoing clinically indicated stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG) at UC Davis Medical Center * Able to provide informed consent (or for Aim I retrospective component, prior consent in Emory registry) Exclusion Criteria: * Full-Scale IQ \< 70 * Inability to provide informed consent * For Aim III: Age \> 55 years * For Aim II: History of neurological or psychiatric disorder (as applicable per study protocol)
Where it's running
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UC Davis Medical Center
Sacramento, California, United States Recruiting -
Emory University Hospital
Atlanta, Georgia, United States Recruiting
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Nigel P Pedersen, MD
- Email: nppedersen@health.ucdavis.edu
- Phone: 916-734-3251
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.