Plain-English translation of NCT04128306 on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗ · Source last updated · Translation generated · How we translate trials
This study doesn't follow the usual testing phases — it may be an observational study or a different type of research.
Researchers studied how the brain judges the time it takes for a moving object to reach you—a skill called time-to-contact estimation. The study examined patients who had brain tumors and were undergoing awake brain surgery, where surgeons could safely turn off specific brain areas one at a time while testing this visual skill. By seeing which areas affected the ability to make these judgments, researchers aimed to map out exactly which parts of the brain control this important visual function.
Doctors do not yet fully understand which brain areas are responsible for judging when moving objects will reach us, especially areas outside the visual cortex that help us understand the space around our bodies. This trial used the unique opportunity of awake brain surgery to directly test these brain areas and identify their roles in this critical visual skill.
Participants first completed a vision test before surgery to see if their tumor affected their ability to judge when objects would reach them. If the test showed no problems, patients participated in the main study during their scheduled awake brain surgery—while awake, the surgeon briefly stimulated specific brain areas (lasting no more than 5 minutes total) while the patient performed the same vision task. Researchers then noted which brain areas, when temporarily turned off, made the task harder or impossible, helping them map which parts of the brain control this skill. A control group of healthy volunteers matched by age and sex also completed the same vision tests in the pre-surgery phase.
AI-generated summary from trial data · Jun 11, 2026 · Not medical advice
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