Clinical Neuropsychology Division Trials

Key Areas of Research

• Structural and functional connectome studies of cognitive and seizure networks. Imaging data utilizing whole brain resting-state and task fMRI, diffusion, and high-resolution anatomical images are collected to investigate the impact of seizures on cognitive/emotional functioning and to identify and characterize both epileptogenic and cognitive networks. (Dr. Tracy)
• Functional change and reorganization in response to interventions such as resective neurosurgery, thermal ablation, and brain electrical stimulation. (Dr. Tracy)
• The application of imaging methods in surgical planning in epilepsy with the goal of developing quantitative models that can predict outcomes after brain interventions. The project is made possible by funding from the National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS: R01 NS112816-01).  (Dr. Tracy)
• The lab regularly conducts studies to improve and expand mulit-modal MRI mapping of brain structure and function to increase the value of such mapping in surgical planning and intraoperative neuronavigation. (Dr. Tracy)
• Determine the relationship between brain cognitive networks at rest versus ongoing task activity. Assess the relative power of static versus dynamic measures of network organization in explaining the level of cognitive skill in areas such as memory and language, identifying the potential use of static and dynamic network measures for understanding brain recovery from neurologic disease (e.g., epilepsy). 
• Identify and characterize the brain mechanisms that support functional resilience and brain recovery from disease. In one clinical trial, the imaging data is used as an endpoint  to help determine the benefit of stem cell implantation is stroke patients. In a separate clinical trial the imaging data is used to identify cortical regions that can be used as targets for brain electrical stimulation or the training of prosthetic devices. These stimulation effects are then used to train adaptive prosthetic devices to restore motor function in stroke patients. (Dr. Tracy)
• Relation between cognition and biomarkers in blood (Dr. Lyon)
• Cognitive predictors of epilepsy surgical outcomes (Dr. Lyon)
• Psychosocial and functional outcomes following epilepsy surgery (Dr. Graefe)
• Efficacy of cognitive rehabilitation interventions in resective epilepsy surgery (Dr. Graefe)

Information for Healthy Volunteers

Our current Neuroimaging studies are also enrolling interested healthy volunteers. Remuneration is provided. If you are (a) an adult between the ages of 18 and 60 years old, (b) have no significant medical or psychiatric history, and (c) able to undergo an MRI scan, please call 215-955-8992 to complete a brief eligibility screening or learn more about our current studies.