Performing behavioral tasks in subjects with intracranial electrodes

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Science
• Clinical Neurology

Background:

• Patients with stereo-electroencephalography (SEEG) or other intracranial electrode implants offer a unique research opportunity.
• These patients are hospitalized for seizure focus localization, allowing for behavioral experiments during this period.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a method for recording brain activity from intracranial implants during behavioral tasks.
• To assess decision-making and reward encoding by examining neural correlates of behavior in humans.

Main Methods:

• Recording electrophysiological data from intracranial electrodes (SEEG, subdural grids, depth electrodes) during behavioral tasks.
• Implementing behavioral paradigms to assess decision-making and reward encoding in human subjects.

Main Results:

• Electrophysiological data from intracranial electrodes were recorded during behavioral tasks.
• The method allows examination of multiple brain areas involved in a single function at behaviorally relevant time scales.

Conclusions:

• This method provides a valuable tool for directly examining human brain function during behavior.
• It allows for the study of neural correlates of complex cognitive functions like decision-making and reward processing in real-time.
• The technique is adaptable for use in various clinical settings with intracranial assessments.