Microelectrodes in Epilepsy
Overview
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Intervention
- Not specified
- Conditions
- Epilepsy
- Sponsor
- Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center
- Enrollment
- 34
- Locations
- 1
- Primary Endpoint
- Feasibility of Microelectrode Technology to Isolate Place Responsive Neurons in the Human Hippocampus as Measured by the Number of Place Responsive Neurons.
- Status
- Completed
- Last Updated
- 3 years ago
Overview
Brief Summary
The purpose of this study is to test microelectrodes in intracranial monitoring to see if they will provide novel information on the epileptic potential of the implanted brain tissue. A secondary objective is to investigate the activity of single neurons during specific cognitive tasks.
Detailed Description
The standard-of-care for medically refractory epilepsy is resective brain surgery. In certain patients, precise localization of the epileptic focus is done using intracranial EEG (iEEG) recording. In this type of EEG recording, electrodes are placed on the brain surface or inserted into the brain through an opening in the skull. In addition to standard electrode recording, this study will use ultra thin microelectrodes. Microelectrodes are only several micrometers thick and are useful because they are able to record the activity of single neurons in isolation. Such recordings have tremendous clinical potential in epilepsy surgery and tremendous research potential in cognitive neuroscience.
Investigators
Barbara Jobst
Chair, Department of Neurology
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria
- •18-65 year old
- •male or female
- •right or left handed
- •medically refractory focal epilepsy requiring intracranial EEG for pre-surgical evaluation deemed medically necessary
- •no contraindications to intracranial electrode study
- •able and willing to participate in research
Exclusion Criteria
- •does not meet the inclusion criteria
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Feasibility of Microelectrode Technology to Isolate Place Responsive Neurons in the Human Hippocampus as Measured by the Number of Place Responsive Neurons.
Time Frame: Evaluated for each patient during monitoring period of approximately 2 weeks
With the occipito-temporal implantation approach of implantation of microelectrodes, feasibility will measured by the number of place responsive neurons that could be isolated.
Secondary Outcomes
- How Precise the Frequencies (Alpha, Beta, Delta, Theta, Gamma, and High-gamma) of Neural Brain Activity Predict the Speed of the Participant at Performing the Cognitive Task (Accuracy Measured in Percentage).(Evaluated for each patient during monitoring period of approximately 2 weeks)