The objective of this study is to determine how visuomotor exploration relates to hippocampal activity along its long axis. The study will investigate the neurophysiological mechanisms in the hippocampus during (1) visual exploration in surgical patients using high-resolution iEEG, and (2) ambulatory exploration in patients implanted with RNS devices.
Aim 1 - Visual Exploration in Surgical Patients Investigators will study 20 surgical patients with high-resolution intracranial EEG (iEEG) to investigate hippocampal activity during visual exploration. Participants will view between 10-15 panoramic environments using Meta Quest AR/VR glasses while their eye movements and head turns are tracked. Eye-tracking, head-turn, and iEEG data will be synchronized with visual stimuli, and intracranial EEG and single-unit data will be analyzed for changes in neuronal firing and brain activity before and after saccades. Aim 2 - Ambulatory Exploration in RNS Patients and Healthy Controls Investigators will study 12 epilepsy patients with implanted responsive neurostimulator (RNS) devices and 24 healthy controls (HCs) during real-world exploration. Participants will walk through and explore visually distinct rooms while wearing synchronized high-density EEG (hdEEG), eye-tracking glasses, and body position sensors. Data from hippocampal iEEG, hdEEG, eye tracking, and motion sensors will be synchronized offline to examine brain-behavior relationships and the influence of cognitive load on saccade-hippocampal interactions.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
56
Cognitive testing while admitted to the epilepsy monitoring unit (number of sessions will vary depending on patient availability and stamina).
Series of cognitive tasks completed during a study visit.
NYU Langone Health
New York, New York, United States
Hippocampal Theta Power Under High Cognitive Loads
Aims 1 and 2. High cognitive loads defined as visual exploration of a complex scene with goal-driven task.
Time frame: Study Visit (Day 1)
Hippocampal Theta Power Under Medium Cognitive Loads
Aims 1 and 2. Medium cognitive loads defined as visual exploration of a simpler scene with fewer objects.
Time frame: Study Visit (Day 1)
Hippocampal Theta Power Under Low Cognitive Loads
Aims 1 and 2. Low cognitive loads defined as visual exploration of moving dots.
Time frame: Study Visit (Day 1)
Hippocampal Theta Power Under No Cognitive Loads
Aims 1 and 2. Low cognitive loads defined as staring at a blank field of view or REM sleep.
Time frame: Study Visit (Day 1)
Coherence Time-Locked to the Saccade Under High Cognitive Loads
Aims 1 and 2. High cognitive loads defined as visual exploration of a complex scene with goal-driven task.
Time frame: Study Visit (Day 1)
Coherence Time-Locked to the Saccade Under Medium Cognitive Loads
Aims 1 and 2. Medium cognitive loads defined as visual exploration of a simpler scene with fewer objects.
Time frame: Study Visit (Day 1)
Coherence Time-Locked to the Saccade Under Low Cognitive Loads
Aims 1 and 2. Low cognitive loads defined as staring at a blank field of view or REM sleep.
Time frame: Study Visit (Day 1)
Coherence Time-Locked to the Saccade Under No Cognitive Loads
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Aims 1 and 2. Low cognitive loads defined as staring at a blank field of view or REM sleep.
Time frame: Study Visit (Day 1)