Ignacio Sáez - Neurotechnology for Cognition: Recording and Modulating the Human Brain

In this episode of the Neural Implant Podcast, host Dr. Ladan Jiracek sits down with Dr. Ignacio Sáez, neuroscientist at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, whose lab uses intracranial brain recordings to study the biology of human cognition. Ignacio shares how cutting-edge neurotechnology like iEEG can reveal the neural dynamics behind decision-making, risk, memory, and brain states - and how those insights could unlock more targeted neuromodulation therapies for psychiatric disorders such as depression and anxiety. 

Top 3 Takeaways:

•  Epilepsy patients undergoing seizure monitoring often have 100-200 electrodes implanted in their brains and may spend days in the hospital waiting for a seizure. Ignacio's lab uses this rare window to record high-quality human neural activity while patients complete cognitive tasks and computer-based games - giving researchers an unparalleled way to study human brain function in real time.
• Working with Precision Neuroscience has been transformative because their Layer 7 device offers a completely different view of brain activity than traditional epilepsy electrodes. Instead of ~200 electrodes spread across multiple brain regions, Precision's flexible micro-ECoG array packs 1024 non-penetrating electrodes into about 1 cm², enabling ultra-high-density recordings from a single, discrete cortical area without damaging tissue - helping researchers zoom in on local circuits and uncover new insights into brain function and treatment pathways.
• One major advantage of doing cognitive neuroscience in humans is that researchers can directly ask subjects what they were thinking, feeling, or paying attention to during a task - giving "ground truth" insight that animal studies can only infer indirectly from behavior.

1:00 Do you want to introduce yourself better than I just did?

9:30 How did you make that transition from animal work to human work?

15:15 Sponsorship by blackswan-ip 

16:15 Do you see a difference between devices with many electrodes vs those with fewer?

18:45 What's it like working with Precision Neuroscience and how do their higher channel counts help?

24:00 What is your workflow and what is the source of your funding? Usually from companies?

26:45 How many trials can you do at once?

29:15 What are some challenges in this work?

31:15 How many other people are doing this kind of research?

34:15 What changes to new designs or devices do you foresee as a result of this work?

41:45 Is there anything that we didn't talk about that you wanted to mention?