Data collection during epilepsy monitoring
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Human behavioural and neurophysiological data collection during epilepsy monitoring
IRAS ID
337440
Contact name
Luke Bashford
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Newcastle Joint Research Office
Duration of Study in the UK
5 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
The smallest operating unit of the human brain is the single neuron. The firing patterns of these neurons regulate everyday cognitive functions. To better understand the mechanisms underlying cognitive tasks it is important to study these single neurons in humans. As standard of care for medically intractable epilepsy, the Royan Victoria Infirmary Newcastle Neurosurgery Department will implant electrodes for up to two weeks to precisely localize the epileptic focus. For this project, the macro electrodes which are typically implanted will be substituted for comparable hybrid electrodes which have both macro and micro electrodes. The micro contacts can detect the single neuron activity necessary for this research. These hybrid electrodes are approved for this use case, are safe, and pose no clinically relevant risk to the patient. Neural activity from single neurons and small neural assemblies will be recorded from implanted brain areas to assess their role in cognition. The proposed research would involve patients participating in simple experiments, like responding to visual or audio cues shown on a laptop computer. Experiments are split up in sessions with each session not lasting longer than 1 hour. Neural activity will also be recorded throughout the whole monitoring period at no additional burden to the patient, providing the clinical data that is the purpose of the electrode implantations, as well as novel markers of epilepsy that may be more specific than those currently used. It is important to emphasize that the electrode implantation is guided entirely by clinical considerations and that the research experiments would put no physical or psychological stressors on patients. The information gleaned from this study will lead to important new insights in basic as well as clinical science, improving our understanding of the mechanisms underlying human cognition, improving diagnostic tools for epilepsy, and further understanding potential deficits from resection.
REC name
Yorkshire & The Humber - Leeds East Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
24/YH/0051
Date of REC Opinion
9 Apr 2024
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion