Neurophysiological Mechanisms of Language Comprehension Study
This study is looking into how our brains understand language. If you are an adult (18 or older) who is already having brain monitoring (sEEG or ECoG) for epilepsy, you might be able to join. Researchers will ask you to read different types of sentences (Sentence Type intervention) and see how your brain activity changes. They will also use very small electrical currents through your existing brain electrodes (Direct brain stimulation) to see how it affects your choices and brain activity. The main goals are to see how you choose pictures based on sentences and how quickly you read words. This study aims to understand the brain's language processes better.
- Study design
- This is an interventional study planning to enroll 153 participants. It is not specified if it is randomized or blinded.
- What's involved
- You would read or listen to sentences and choose pictures, or respond to words by pressing a button, touching a screen, or speaking. These activities will take place at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Epilepsy Monitoring Unit (EMU).
- Compensation
- Not stated in the trial record.
- Follow-up
- Your behavioral responses will be measured immediately after interventions, or immediately before and concomitant with electrical stimulation.
AI-generated from the public study record. Only the study team can confirm whether you're eligible — confirm details with them before making decisions.
Neurophysiological Mechanisms of Language Comprehension
At a glance
Conditions
Where it's being run
1 sites across 1 statesStudy leadership
- Matthew Nelson, PhD · PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR · The University of Alabama at Birmingham
Who to contact
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Do you actually qualify for this trial?
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Inclusion
Exclusion
What this trial measures
- Behavioral Response- Picture ChoiceMeasured immediately after the intervention
The investigators will observe which picture the participant chooses at the end of each trial. The participant's choice will be measured by a touch screen that the patient touches to make their choice. The unit of measurement is the percentage of trials per condition studied in which participants choose the correct picture, versus the percentage of trials per condition studied in which participants choose the picture that reflects a patient-agent error (which reflects incorrect assignment of the patient versus agent roles of the nouns in the sentence), versus the percentage of trials per condition studied in which participants choose the picture that reflects a complement error (which reflects that the subjects mistakenly applied an adjective to the wrong noun in the sentence), versus the percentage of trials per condition studied in which participants choose the picture that reflects both a patient-agent and a complement error.
- Behavioral Response - Self-paced word response time for words presented before electrical stimulationOutcomes will be measured immediately before the intervention
While subjects perform self-paced reading experiments, this is the amount of time they spend on each word of the sentence before moving on to the next word of the sentence.
- Behavioral Response - Self-paced word response time for words presented concomitant with electrical stimulationOutcomes will be measured concomitant with the intervention
While subjects perform self-paced reading experiments, this is the amount of time they spend on each word of the sentence before moving on to the next word of the sentence.
- Behavioral Response - Self-paced word response time for words presented after electrical stimulationOutcomes will be measured immediately after the intervention
While subjects perform self-paced reading experiments, this is the amount of time they spend on each word of the sentence before moving on to the next word of the sentence, for words presented after electrical stimulation
- Neural activation before electrical stimulationOutcomes will be measured immediately before the intervention
With the electrodes implanted in the patient as a standard of care, the investigators will measure the neural activation at each electrode as assessed by the high gamma power present in that recorded channel
- Neural activation concomitant with electrical stimulationOutcomes will be measured concomitant with the intervention
With the electrodes implanted in the patient as a standard of care, the investigators will measure the neural activation at each electrode as assessed by the high gamma power present in that recorded channel
- Neural activation after electrical stimulationOutcomes will be measured immediately after the intervention
With the electrodes implanted in the patient as a standard of care, the investigators will measure the neural activation at each electrode as assessed by the high gamma power present in that recorded channel