The Computational and Neural Mechanisms Linking Decision-making and Memory in Humans

Overview

Learning to make good decisions in the present, and accurately recalling events and information from the past, are critical aspects of human cognition that are often impaired in many psychiatric disorders. This project aims to identify the how the choices individuals make influence what, and how, people remember by combining disparate techniques in computational modeling and direct brain recordings in human subjects. The researcher developed a dual-task paradigm, probing how decisions in one task affect immediate recognition memory. To examine the neural mechanisms underlying model-free RL's influence on memory, the researcher will record local field potential (LFP) and single neuron activity in various brain regions as epilepsy patients perform the proposed task. The results of this project will identify specific neurocomputational mechanisms unifying decision-making and memory processes.

Interventions

• Behavioral Value-manipulation
  During the decision-making task, different choices are assigned different values probabilistically.

Primary outcome measures

• Local-field potentials changes [Time frame: During task participation, approx. 30-45 min in the first 2 weeks of hospital stay]
• Firing rate changes [Time frame: During task participation, approx. 30-45 min in the first 2 weeks of hospital stay]

Secondary outcome measures (3)

• Reaction time [Time frame: During task participation, approx. 30-45 min in the first 2 weeks of hospital stay]
• Number of hit rates for decision-making [Time frame: During task participation, approx. 30-45 min in the first 2 weeks of hospital stay]
• Number of hit rates for Memory performance [Time frame: During task participation, approx. 30-45 min in the first 2 weeks of hospital stay]

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion criteria

• Has seizure activity which is deemed non-responsive to standard pharmacological intervention(s), as determined by treating Neurologist and established clinical practices
• Has elected to receive clinically indicated intracranial EEG (electrocorticography (ECoG), stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG)) and/or temporal responsive neurostimulation (RNS) for medication-refractory epilepsy outside of this research study, as determined by treating clinician(s) and per current clinical practice
• Capacity to provide written informed consent
• Language proficiency in English or Spanish
• Willing and able to comply with all study-related procedures

Exclusion criteria

• History of psychosis, such as in the context of depressive or manic episode.
• Active suicidal ideation with intent, suicide attempt within the last six months, or other serious suicide risk
• Inability to provide informed consent or reliably participate in study assessments, as per the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA; score < 26) or in the opinion of the evaluating neuropsychologist.
• Individuals unwilling or unable to undergo electrode implantation procedures
• Medical contraindications to neurosurgery or for general anesthesia, neurosurgery, or an MRI scan (required for electrode implantation)
• Neurological disorder other than epilepsy or other significant brain pathology, if contraindicated in the opinion of implanting neurosurgeon.
• Women who are pregnant

Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.

Healthy volunteers: No

Study design

Allocation

N/A

Model

Single group

Masking

Open label

Primary purpose

Basic science

Study locations

United States · 1 center

• Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School — New Brunswick

Identifiers

NCT: NCT06072378 · Pro2024002100 · K99MH132873

Primary sources (government registries)

• ClinicalTrials.gov (US NIH)

View this study on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗