Studying how the brain stays alert while seeing and hearing
Studies brain alertness during seeing and hearing in healthy people and people with epilepsy.
Plain-language title generated from the registry record
Registry title: Subcortical Arousal in Perceptual Awareness
Key facts
- Where
- Boston, Houston, Kansas City, Lebanon, Nashville, New Haven, Pittsburgh, and Rochester, United StatesSee the 8 sites
Where in United States
- Massachusetts General HospitalBoston, United StatesTaking people
- Baylor College of MedicineHouston, United StatesTaking people
- University of Kansas Medical CenterKansas City, United StatesTaking people
- Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical CenterLebanon, United StatesTaking people
- Vanderbilt University Medical CenterNashville, United StatesTaking people
- Yale School of MedicineNew Haven, United StatesTaking people
- University of Pittsburgh Medical CenterPittsburgh, United StatesNot yet recruiting
- Mayo ClinicRochester, United StatesTaking people
Questions to ask the study team
- How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
- Are travel costs paid?
- Can I keep my own doctor?
- What happens if I want to stop?
Trial details
- Who runs it
- Yale University
- Trial code
- NCT06934356
- Record updated
- 10 August 2026
- Original description
The study consists of prospective enrollment of healthy participants and patients with epilepsy, as well as analysis of an existing data set. Healthy participants will be studied with fMRI, eye metrics and behavioral testing at Yale. Patients will be studied with intracranial thalamic and cortical recording and stimulation, eye metrics and behavioral testing.Read full original descriptionShow less
Shared Subcortical Arousal Systems Across Perceptual Modalities
The study consists of prospective enrollment of healthy participants and patients with epilepsy, as well as analysis of an existing data set. Healthy participants will be studied with fMRI, eye metrics and behavioral testing at Yale. Patients will be studied with intracranial thalamic and cortical recording and stimulation, eye metrics and behavioral testing.
The following are the inclusion/exclusion criteria for healthy participants age 18 years and up (Aim 1 and 2):; Inclusion: (1) normal vision with or without the use of corrective lenses; (2) normal hearing not needing an assistive hearing device; Exclusion: (1) past history of diagnosis of a psychiatric or neurologic disease; (2) current psychiatric or neurologic disease; (3) requires hard contact lenses or glasses to maintain normal vision (prevents accurate pupil and eye gaze measurements); (4) pregnant or nonremovable ferrous metal objects inside or on the body (prevents MRI); The following are the inclusion/exclusion criteria for epilepsy patients with thalamic electrodes age 13 years and up (Aim 3A):; Inclusion: (1) normal vision with or without the use of corrective lenses; Exclusion: (1) severe vision impairment even with correction preventing ability to see stimuli (prevents accurate pupil and eye gaze measurements); (2) unable to perform the perception task due to cognitive impairment. All participants must be capable of consenting for themselves; The following are the inclusion/exclusion criteria for epilepsy patients with thalamic electrodes age 18 year and up (Aim 3B):; Inclusion: (1) normal vision with or without the use of corrective lenses; (2) A female subject must have a negative pregnancy test and if sexually active, must be using a reliable form of birth control for the duration of the trial, be surgically sterile, or be at least two years post-menopausal; Exclusion: (1) severe vision impairment even with correction preventing ability to see stimuli (prevents accurate pupil and eye gaze measurements); (2) unable to perform the perception task due to cognitive impairment. All participants must be capable of consenting for themselves; (3) Pregnancy.