Higher cognitive function in adults who had hemispheric surgery in childhood

This in-person study in Pasadena, California, at the Human Brain and Cognition Lab at Travis Research Institute and the Emotion and Social Cognition Lab at the California Institute of Technology examines how childhood hemispherectomy impacts cognitive and social functioning in adulthood.

Participants take a variety of tests and puzzles, and complete questionnaires about personal preferences and activities. This testing will be conducted in 3-4 hour sessions across several days, the exact amount of testing time varies from person to person. If eligible, participants will also be asked to do a series of MRI studies taking 1-1.5 hours. Participants with shunts to treat hydrocephalus will be excluded from the MRI-portion of the study.

Status:  This study is ongoing. Interested participants should contact Kaitlyn Bennet at kaitlynnogales@fuller.edu. Travel and lodging for the study is paid for by the Pediatric Epilepsy Surgery Alliance.

Cognition in children with epilepsy

Children with epilepsy often have difficulties with cognition and development, which can range from mild to very severe. Assessing development can be difficult and time-consuming and we want to know if a simple set of tasks done online may be helpful in assessing cognition.

This study aims to assess the feasibility of using an online platform, Cognitron, to assess cognitive function in children with epilepsy. Participants in this study must be aged 5-20 and be diagnosed with epilepsy. Cognition will be measured using a series of tests, similar to those used in the Great British Intelligence Test, but have been adapted to children of different ages.

Learn more about this study

Driving with homonymous hemianopia after hemispheric surgery

Researchers at the Bowers Laboratory at Schepens Eye Research Institute at Harvard University are interested in understanding how teens and young adults drive with homonymous hemianopia.

The ideal participant is:
  • Willing to discuss current or prior driving experience;
  • Able to understand and follow instructions for vision tests and driving in the simulator (do not have to be able to verbalize, but do need to be able to communicate if they are feeling discomfort or have questions etc);
  • Able to operate the controls of the driving simulator (steering wheel, gas and brake pedals, horn button);
  • Able to get into the driving simulator seat (involves a step up);
  • Sufficient stamina for a study visit of 3 hours with breaks;
  • Note: people who have a history of motion sickness when in a real car might have some problems with motion discomfort in the driving simulator so might not be good candidates

This pilot study is in Boston July 31 – August 3, 2024, in tandem with our Pediatric Epilepsy Surgery Conference and Family Reunion.

Learn more about this study

Reading after hemispherectomy

Researchers at the Brain, Education, and Mind Lab at MGH Institutes in Boston want to understand the brain’s reading circuits after hemispheric surgery. This study is in Boston August 1 – 4, 2024, in tandem with our Pediatric Epilepsy Surgery Conference and Family Reunion.

Study requirements: Children (ages 6-17) who have had hemispheric surgery, are metal-free (except for cranial fixation screws and plates), braces-free, and preferably shunt-free;
 
What is involved: 1:1 testing of reading and related skills (~2 hours) virtual or in-person at the Massachusetts Institutes of Technology (~2 hours); brain imaging session at MIT using MRI (1.5-2 hours) on one of these dates – August 1, 2, 3, or 4, 2024;
What researchers offer to participants: Local travel reimbursement from your Boston hotel to/from MIT (up to $50 each way); gift cards up to $100 for participation in both sessions;  report with your child’s performance on reading and related measures.
How to sign up or learn more: Email BEAMreadingBrain@gmail.com to contact the study team at MIT and the MGH Institute (study led by Dr. Joanna Christodoulou)