Perceptual Decision Making Under Conditions of Visual Uncertainty

NCT01845883 | Unknown

• 1 other identifier: 12-001589
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 120
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

In this proposal the investigators have three Specific Aims using human patient populations as model systems; 1) identify a role for the Basal Ganglia (BG) in perceptual decision making; 2) determine whether the Basal Ganglia contribute to decision making under conditions of visual uncertainty; 3) determine whether the cerebellum plays a role in perceptual decision-making under conditions of visual uncertainty. The investigators designed experiments using healthy humans and humans with diseases known to affect the Basal Ganglia and the cerebellum, Parkinson's Disease, dystonia and non-dystonic cerebellar damage. With this approach the investigators will test the following hypotheses: 1) Patients with Parkinson's Disease and dystonia will have more difficulty than healthy controls making perceptual decisions when faced with sensory uncertainty; when sensory information is certain, patients will show improved decision-making but will still be impaired relative to healthy humans. Hypothesis 2: If ambiguous sensory information is aided by prior information, patients with Parkinson's Disease and dystonia will be unable to use the prior (bias/memory) information to inform their decisions. Hypothesis 3: Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) of Basal Ganglia structures will improve the ability of patients to use prior information to inform their decisions when faced with sensory uncertainty. Hypothesis 4: Both cholinergic and dopaminergic medical therapies will improve the ability of patients to use prior information to inform their decisions. Hypothesis 5: Patients with non-dystonic cerebellar damage will be similar to healthy controls in performance of a perceptual decision making task in conditions of visual uncertainty. The overarching framework of this application is that the same mechanisms (D1 striatal synaptic plasticity) that operate in reward learning play a role in learning and using stimulus priors in a perceptual decision-making task when faced with uncertainty. Because Parkinson's Disease and dystonia share deficits in striatal circuitry, the patient deficits on this task will be similar. Because non-dystonic cerebellar patients do not have dysfunction of striatal circuits, they will show no deficits in the ability to use stimulus priors to guide choices in uncertain conditions. In the event these patients do show deficits, this is will provide evidence for an unexplored role for the cerebellum in perceptual decision-making.

Conditions

Parkinson's Disease; Dystonia; Ataxia

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Choice performance - % correct responses out of total number of trials

  data from each subject will be assessed at the end of each session to monitor and measure outcome measures.

  at the end of each testing session - 2 hours

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Reaction Time to make a choice - measured in milliseconds

  at the end of each testing session - 2 hours

Study Arms (1)

Deep Brain Stimulator

OTHER

Some of our subjects that participate to the study have Deep Brain Stimulation implanted. They will perform the behavioral task twice, with the stimulation ON or OFF.

Procedure: Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS)

Interventions

Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) PROCEDURE

Patients with DBS will participate to the study both when the stimulation is off and on.

Deep Brain Stimulator

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 80 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Group 1 - Age and Sex matched healthy controls:
• Age 18-80 Years
• Group 2 - Patients with Parkinson's Disease - No DBS:
• "on meds" and "off meds" (tested in separate sessions) - total of 2 sessions
• Age 45-80 Years
• Unified PD rating scale (UPDRS)
• Mini mental health Status (MMHS)
• Group 3 - Patients with Parkinson's Disease already consented for DBS (STN):
• Age 45-80 Years
• Unified PD rating scale (UPDRS)
• Mini mental health Status (MMHS)
• Group 4 - Patients with Parkinson's Disease already consented for DBS (GPi):
• Age 45-80 Years
• Unified PD rating scale (UPDRS)
• Mini mental health Status (MMHS)

You may not qualify if:

• Visual impairment or ocular motility disorder Inability to sit for the 30 minute task plus 20-30 minute instruction time, setup, and wait time.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of California, Los Angeles: lead
• The Dana Foundation: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Neuroscience Research Building

Los Angeles, California, 90095, United States

RECRUITING

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Parkinson Disease; Dystonia; Ataxia

Interventions

Deep Brain Stimulation

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Parkinsonian Disorders; Basal Ganglia Diseases; Brain Diseases; Central Nervous System Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Movement Disorders; Synucleinopathies; Neurodegenerative Diseases; Dyskinesias; Neurologic Manifestations; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Electric Stimulation Therapy; Therapeutics; Surgical Procedures, Operative

Study Officials

• Michele Basso, PhD

  University of California, Los Angeles

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Alessandra Perugini, PhD

CONTACT

3108250278; APerugini@mednet.ucla.edu

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: BASIC SCIENCE
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: April 23, 2013
• First Posted: May 3, 2013
• Study Start: April 1, 2013
• Primary Completion: December 1, 2015
• Study Completion: December 1, 2016
• Last Updated: December 18, 2015

Record last verified: 2015-12

Locations

US (1)