Episodic MemoryNCT06540976
Posterior Cingulate Cortex and Executive Control of Episodic Memory
A study testing Cognitive testing in people with Episodic Memory, run by University of Pennsylvania at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
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. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 50 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Episodic Memory
- What is being tested?
- Cognitive testing
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 130 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 18 Jan 2023to 30 Apr 2027
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 50 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- 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).
Who cannot join
- Individuals not undergoing invasive brain monitoring for epilepsy.
- Individuals outside of the age range (18-50 yrs).
- Individuals with cognitive impairment or intellectual difficulty.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
United States1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania - Pavilion
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104
Ilaina Edelstein, Ilaina.Edelstein@Pennmedicine.upenn.edu
About this 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.
Read the detailed description
This project reflects a basic experimental study involving human participants (BESH), which focuses on the neuroscience of episodic memory. Episodic memory involves the encoding and retrieval of past experiences to support learned behavior. Aside from these mnemonic processes, it also requires the ability to regulate memory (i.e. executive processes). For example, many real-world decisions will engage episodic retrieval, for which executive processes must help to integrate and evaluate the quality of remembered information (mnemonic evidence) and guide behavior to either decision, action, or continued memory search. While the neural basis of episodic memory encoding and retrieval have been a major focus of research, far less is known about its executive aspects. Executive mnemonic functions likely involve an anatomical substrate that is (i) multisensory/associative, (ii) engaged by memory/executive processing, and (iii) strongly interconnected with both mnemonic regions in the medial temporal lobe (MTL) and executive prefrontal (PFC) regions. Prior non-human primate studies, as well as human electrophysiology and neuroimaging data, suggest that posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) fulfills these criteria. The central hypothesis of this work is that the PCC plays a critical and unique role in executive control of episodic memory retrieval. The investigators further hypothesize that it comprises three subregions regions: dorsal PCC, ventral PCC and retrosplenial cortex (RSC). These subregions are proposed to play complementary roles, corresponding to retrieval regulation, retrieval integration, and scene perception and transformation, respectively. In this account, PCC is a convergence zone of memory and executive systems, whose specific functional organization accounts for prior discrepancies between studies and species. The investigators will utilize human intracranial recordings, including single-cell data and stimulation within PCC, to better resolve the functional organization of this region. The investigators will employ an array of cognitive experiments to delineate three PCC subregions supporting the encoding, retrieval and executive control of memory processing (Aim 1). In delineating these subregions, the investigators will also seek to differentiate PCC responses from those occurring in memory and executive functional networks (Aim 2). Finally, based on these observations, the investigators will demonstrate the causal role of PCC subregions on behavior and local/network activity (Aim 3). By studying PCC, a convergence zone of memory and executive 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.
- Conditions
- Episodic Memory
- Being tested
- Cognitive testing
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Cognitive testingBehavioural
Cognitive tasks testing executive and episodic based decisions, and the switching between these processes.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Experiment 1 - episodic / executive switch | Experimental | All enrolled participants will be asked to perform experiment 1, which is a cognitive task involving the switch between performing episodic memory decisions (e.g., "did you eat fruit yesterday?") and executive decisions (e.g. "...does 5+3+8 = 17?"). Participants will perform this computer-based task while electrical brain activity is recorded from the posterior cingulate cortex, hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. This task takes 18 minutes to complete. Receives: Behavioral: Cognitive testing |
| Experiment 2 - executive decision task | Experimental | All enrolled participants will be asked to perform experiment 2, which is a cognitive task involving reward-based decisions between two options. For each decision, the two options will differ in their risk and reward (e.g., 100% chance of 10 points vs. 30% chance of 50 points). Participants will perform this computer-based task while electrical brain activity is recorded from the posterior cingulate cortex, hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. This task takes 15 minutes to complete. Receives: Behavioral: Cognitive testing |
| Experiment 3 - episodic decision task | Experimental | All enrolled participants will be asked to perform experiment 3, which is a cognitive task involving memory-based decisions between two options (pictures of people). For each decision, the two pictures will differ in memory strength and reward (e.g., familiar picture for 10 points vs. unfamiliar picture 50 points). Memory strength for each picture will be defined by how many times the picture was previously shown (e.g., 2 vs. 10 presentations) prior to performing the memory decision task. Participants will perform this computer-based task while electrical brain activity is recorded from the posterior cingulate cortex, hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. This task takes 15 minutes to complete. Receives: Behavioral: Cognitive testing |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Episodic/Executive behavioral task performance accuracy
Participants will perform three tasks each testing the accuracy of executive (reward) or episodic (memory strength) based decisions. Outcome measures will be decision accuracy (% correct).
Measured: Outcome assessed 10 minutes after intervention
Episodic/Executive behavioral task performance speed
Participants will perform three tasks each testing the speed of executive (reward) or episodic (memory strength) based decisions. Outcome measures will be response/decision reaction time (milliseconds).
Measured: Outcome assessed 10 minutes after intervention
Changes in high-frequency electrophysiological brain response
During behavioral task performance, electrophysiological signals recorded from the brain will be quantified for changes in the mean high-frequency activity (70-150 Hz) amplitude during correct and incorrect episodic/executive decisions. The goal is to track this electrophysiological activity to quantify if and when brain activity in the posterior cingulate cortex occurs during memory and non-memory based decisions.
Measured: Outcome assessed 1 hour after intervention
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted7 Aug 2024
- Study start18 Jan 2023
- Primary completion2 Mar 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion30 Apr 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Episodic MemoryStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by University of PennsylvaniaThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 130 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Pennsylvania
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06540976
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- R01MH129439
- Status last verified
- Sep 2026
- First submitted
- 16 Apr 2024
- Last updated
- 16 Sep 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: Data will be shared through the National Institute of Mental Health Data Archive (NIMH NDA).
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 16 Sep 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Posterior Cingulate Cortex and Executive Control of Episodic Memory
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06540976
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- R01MH129439
- Conditions
- Episodic Memory
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 130 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- University of PennsylvaniaUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 18 Jan 2023 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 2 Mar 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 30 Apr 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 7 Aug 2024 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
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.
Detailed description
This project reflects a basic experimental study involving human participants (BESH), which focuses on the neuroscience of episodic memory. Episodic memory involves the encoding and retrieval of past experiences to support learned behavior. Aside from these mnemonic processes, it also requires the ability to regulate memory (i.e. executive processes). For example, many real-world decisions will engage episodic retrieval, for which executive processes must help to integrate and evaluate the quality of remembered information (mnemonic evidence) and guide behavior to either decision, action, or continued memory search. While the neural basis of episodic memory encoding and retrieval have been a major focus of research, far less is known about its executive aspects. Executive mnemonic functions likely involve an anatomical substrate that is (i) multisensory/associative, (ii) engaged by memory/executive processing, and (iii) strongly interconnected with both mnemonic regions in the medial temporal lobe (MTL) and executive prefrontal (PFC) regions. Prior non-human primate studies, as well as human electrophysiology and neuroimaging data, suggest that posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) fulfills these criteria. The central hypothesis of this work is that the PCC plays a critical and unique role in executive control of episodic memory retrieval. The investigators further hypothesize that it comprises three subregions regions: dorsal PCC, ventral PCC and retrosplenial cortex (RSC). These subregions are proposed to play complementary roles, corresponding to retrieval regulation, retrieval integration, and scene perception and transformation, respectively. In this account, PCC is a convergence zone of memory and executive systems, whose specific functional organization accounts for prior discrepancies between studies and species. The investigators will utilize human intracranial recordings, including single-cell data and stimulation within PCC, to better resolve the functional organization of this region. The investigators will employ an array of cognitive experiments to delineate three PCC subregions supporting the encoding, retrieval and executive control of memory processing (Aim 1). In delineating these subregions, the investigators will also seek to differentiate PCC responses from those occurring in memory and executive functional networks (Aim 2). Finally, based on these observations, the investigators will demonstrate the causal role of PCC subregions on behavior and local/network activity (Aim 3). By studying PCC, a convergence zone of memory and executive 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.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 3
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Experiment 1 - episodic / executive switch | Experimental | Behavioral: Cognitive testingAll enrolled participants will be asked to perform experiment 1, which is a cognitive task involving the switch between performing episodic memory decisions (e.g., "did you eat fruit yesterday?") and executive decisions (e.g. "...does 5+3+8 = 17?"). Participants will perform this computer-based task while electrical brain activity is recorded from the posterior cingulate cortex, hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. This task takes 18 minutes to complete. |
| Experiment 2 - executive decision task | Experimental | Behavioral: Cognitive testingAll enrolled participants will be asked to perform experiment 2, which is a cognitive task involving reward-based decisions between two options. For each decision, the two options will differ in their risk and reward (e.g., 100% chance of 10 points vs. 30% chance of 50 points). Participants will perform this computer-based task while electrical brain activity is recorded from the posterior cingulate cortex, hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. This task takes 15 minutes to complete. |
| Experiment 3 - episodic decision task | Experimental | Behavioral: Cognitive testingAll enrolled participants will be asked to perform experiment 3, which is a cognitive task involving memory-based decisions between two options (pictures of people). For each decision, the two pictures will differ in memory strength and reward (e.g., familiar picture for 10 points vs. unfamiliar picture 50 points). Memory strength for each picture will be defined by how many times the picture was previously shown (e.g., 2 vs. 10 presentations) prior to performing the memory decision task. Participants will perform this computer-based task while electrical brain activity is recorded from the posterior cingulate cortex, hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. This task takes 15 minutes to complete. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 50 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- 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).
Key exclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Individuals not undergoing invasive brain monitoring for epilepsy.
- Individuals outside of the age range (18-50 yrs).
- Individuals with cognitive impairment or intellectual difficulty.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive testingCognitive tasks testing executive and episodic based decisions, and the switching between these processes. | Behavioural | Experiment 1 - episodic / executive switch, Experiment 2 - executive decision task, Experiment 3 - episodic decision task |
Primary outcome
Episodic/Executive behavioral task performance accuracy
Time frame: Outcome assessed 10 minutes after intervention
Participants will perform three tasks each testing the accuracy of executive (reward) or episodic (memory strength) based decisions. Outcome measures will be decision accuracy (% correct).
Episodic/Executive behavioral task performance speed
Time frame: Outcome assessed 10 minutes after intervention
Participants will perform three tasks each testing the speed of executive (reward) or episodic (memory strength) based decisions. Outcome measures will be response/decision reaction time (milliseconds).
Changes in high-frequency electrophysiological brain response
Time frame: Outcome assessed 1 hour after intervention
During behavioral task performance, electrophysiological signals recorded from the brain will be quantified for changes in the mean high-frequency activity (70-150 Hz) amplitude during correct and incorrect episodic/executive decisions. The goal is to track this electrophysiological activity to quantify if and when brain activity in the posterior cingulate cortex occurs during memory and non-memory based decisions.
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 16 Sep 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. Data will be shared through the National Institute of Mental Health Data Archive (NIMH NDA).
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Cognitive testing in people with Episodic Memory, run by University of Pennsylvania at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 3 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 16 Sep 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Ilaina Edelstein (2156153525, Ilaina.Edelstein@Pennmedicine.upenn.edu), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Episodic/Executive behavioral task performance accuracy (time frame: Outcome assessed 10 minutes after intervention). The study lists 3 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 16 Sep 2026.