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Posterior Cingulate Cortex and Executive Control of Episodic Memory

Who can join

Ages 18 to 50 · All sexes

Inclusion Criteria:

* All participants are patients undergoing invasive brain monitoring for epilepsy and will be asked to consent to participation in this basic science protocol (which is focused on the patient group but is not focused on the study of epilepsy).

Exclusion Criteria:

* Individuals not undergoing invasive brain monitoring for epilepsy.
* Individuals outside of the age range (18-50 yrs).
* Individuals with cognitive impairment or intellectual difficulty.

About the study

This project will use intracranial recordings and stimulation of the human brain to understand the unique contributions of the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) to episodic memory behavior. The goal is to test how distinct subregions of the PCC differentially contribute to memory-based decisions (e.g., have I seen this picture before?). The ability to perform invasive studies of the human brain is through routine clinical monitoring of brain activity which occurs during the neurosurgical treatment of epilepsy. However, this project only focuses on the basic science of PCC and memory behavior. Specifically, the investigators will use single-0cell and population measures of brain activity to test a new theory of PCC function which focuses on the executive processes needed to support memory retrieval and memory-based decisions. By studying the PCC, a convergence zone of memory and executive brain systems, progress can be made in elucidating how the failure to successfully leverage past experiences in daily behavior can occur as a common symptom of both neurodegenerative disease (e.g., Alzheimer's disease) and multiple psychiatric conditions (e.g., schizophrenia) implicating PCC dysfunction.

What is being tested

• Cognitive testing (behavioral)

Sponsor: University of Pennsylvania · Participants: 130 · Started: Jan 18, 2023

Contact the study team

• Ilaina Edelstein · Phone: 2156153525
• Brett Foster · Phone: 2156153525

Official record on ClinicalTrials.gov — NCT06540976

Locations in the U.S.

From ClinicalTrials.gov, data retrieved Oct 1, 2026. Each study sets its own eligibility; the study team decides who can join.