Neural Correlates of Real World Spatial Navigation in Humans

The purpose of this study is to understand the neural mechanisms that support real world spatial navigation in humans using deep brain recordings and stimulation during virtual reality (VR), augmented reality, and real world memory tasks. We will determine the cognitive (i.e., memory) and behavioral (i.e., body, head, eye position and movement) factors that modulate deep brain activity and the consequent effects of memory-enhancing deep brain stimulation.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Memory, Delayed
• Intervention / Treatment: Device: Deep Brain Stimulation; Behavioral: Memory and spatial navigation tasks; Behavioral: Physiological Signals; Behavioral: Questionnaires and Assessments

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 70
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Gabriela Vilchez; Phone Number: 9196812577; Email: suthanalab@duke.edu
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Nanthia Suthana, PhD; Phone Number: 9196812577; Email: suthanalab@duke.edu

Study Locations

• United States
  • California
    • Los Angeles, California, United States, 90024
      • Recruiting
      • University of California, Los Angeles
      • Contact: Sonja Hiller; Phone Number: 310-794-7517; Email: shiller@mednet.ucla.edu
      • Principal Investigator: Nanthia Suthana, PhD
  • North Carolina
    • Durham, North Carolina, United States, 27705
      • Recruiting
      • Duke University
      • Contact: Gabriela Vilchez; Phone Number: 919-681-2577; Email: suthanalab@duke.edu
      • Principal Investigator: Nanthia Suthana, PhD

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 90 years (Child, Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• 12 years of age or older and has undergone RNS system placement
• Willing to provide informed consent and participate the study
• Ability to read and write English fluently

Exclusion Criteria:

• Unwilling to provide informed consent

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Basic Science
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Intervention / Treatment

Experimental: RNS Participants; Subjects with RNS implants.

Device: Deep Brain Stimulation; Deep brain stimulation will be used; Behavioral: Memory and spatial navigation tasks; Tasks may include walking around the room, on a treadmill, or in a controlled environment using VR (virtual reality) or AR (augmented reality) technology designed to simulate real-world navigation. Participants may also use Meta Ray-Ban glasses to capture new memories while recording neural activity.; Behavioral: Physiological Signals; Physiological signals such as heart rate, respiration, and skin conductance will be monitored while completing lab tasks. Motion capture and eye-tracking may also be used.; Behavioral: Questionnaires and Assessments; Participants complete questionnaires and assessments to assess subjective emotional experience.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Spatial memory	Spatial memory will be measured using virtual, augmented and real-world spatial navigation tasks where participants will be asked to navigate a previously learned rout as well as if they recognize objects (i.e. landmarks) that appeared along the route (photos of seen landmarks vs unseen landmarks).	Throughout study completion, an average of 2-4 days per year
Memory performance change	Memory performance will be measured using excess path length, latency, and accuracy rate.	Throughout study completion, an average of 2-4 days per year
Oscillatory activity change	Changes in theta, gamma, and theta-gamma coupling will be measured both in relation to changes in memory performance on trials with and without deep brain stimulation as well as in relation to body, head, and eye position in a virtual, augmented, or real-world environment.	Throughout study completion, an average of 2-4 days per year

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Duke University
• Collaborators: National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH); National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Nanthia Suthana, PhD, University of California, Los Angeles; Principal Investigator: Nanthia Suthana, PhD, Duke University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): September 30, 2020
• Primary Completion (Estimated): June 30, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): June 30, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: April 28, 2021
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 30, 2021
• First Posted (Actual): May 5, 2021

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 15, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 13, 2026
• Last Verified: July 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Health Care Quality, Access, and Evaluation; Investigative Techniques; Epidemiologic Methods; Therapeutics; Surgical Procedures, Operative; Data Collection; Health Care Evaluation Mechanisms; Quality of Health Care; Public Health; Environment and Public Health; Electric Stimulation Therapy; Surveys and Questionnaires; Deep Brain Stimulation
• Other Study ID Numbers: Pro00117931 (Duke University); R01MH124761 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract); U01NS117838 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: YES
• IPD Plan Description: The data collected for this research represent a valuable resource to the scientific community, and the PIs will make them accessible to others, while respecting the special needs for confidentiality. All data will be anonymized before being provided to the scientific community. Researchers can also request access to the data under collaborative and co-authorship agreements prior to the end of the funding period or before publication. The results from the proposed project will also be shared at scientific meetings (local, national and international) as well via published manuscripts.
• IPD Sharing Time Frame: All data will be provided by the time publication occurs or when the proposed funding period has ended.
• IPD Sharing Access Criteria: Researchers can request access to the data under collaborative and co- authorship agreements prior to the end of the funding period or before publication.

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No