Memory Encoding

This is a research study to determine how COBENFY KarXT (FDA approved), a drug which has been approved for treatment of certain disorders, affects brain activity and cognitive tasks which may be regulated by the cholinergic system. This study aims to answer: 1) how cholinergic circuitries act during task performance in humans, and 2) develop a better understanding of how cognitive control interacts with learning, memory and decision making in the setting of cholinergic manipulation. Participants will complete a single treatment arm, regardless of which surgical procedure they are to receive. An anesthesiologist or other clinical staff will administer either the drug or the saline at a critical point which addresses the research questions, prior to patient surgery. This will be either with the drug, or the placebo pill. Half of the participants will be randomized to receive the drug, and the other half of these the placebo. Participants will be unaware whether the actual drug has been received. Essential tremor patients who participate will complete a cognitive task during an awake surgery. Epilepsy patients who participate will have a resting state recording during the procedure from the deep cortical layers of the brain. A probe will be used during the surgery to measure the effects of this drug and other procedures of the study on the cholinergic system. This probe is the clinical probe known as the AlphaOmega, which is FDA approved for standard of care procedures. Researchers will compare the brain activity between treatment arms to determine what brain activity changes based on the cholinergic manipulation.

H22 - Unconscious Mind Training and Memory Encoding Phase I The core problem this clinical trial, H22, seeks to address is the pervasive challenge of modifying deeply ingrained, often unconscious, unwanted behaviors within the general population. Many individuals struggle with habits or actions that negatively impact quality of life, productivity, or well-being, yet conventional methods often fall short due to the unconscious nature of these behaviors. Specifically, the trial aims to investigate the efficacy of H22, a novel intervention designed to engage and train the unconscious mind, in mitigating these unwanted behaviors. The central hypothesis guiding this research is that H22 training will empower volunteers to significantly reduce the frequency and intensity of identified unwanted behaviors.