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Home > "L" Clinical Trials Conditions > Learning a Motor Task Through Observation  Learning a Motor Task Through Observation
Learning a Motor Task Through Observation
For Condition: Healthy
Status: Recruiting
Sponsor(s): National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) ,
Synopsis: When a new motor task is learned, organizational changes occur in the motor cortex (outer part) of the brain; this cortical reorganization is referred to as use-dependent plasticity (UDP). People learn new motor skills through practice, but they also learn more quickly and easily by watching someone else perform the task. Because patients with motor disorders often cannot perform physical training, it would be helpful to develop motor rehabilitation strategies that do not rely solely on physical efforts. This study will use transcranial magnetic stimulation, or TMS (see below), to explore whether observing a motor task can enhance UDP. Healthy right-handed volunteers between 18 and 50 years of age may be eligible for this study. Candidates will be screened with a brief medical history and physical examination. Eligible volunteers may participate in one or both parts of this two-part study. Each part involves a minimum of three and a maximum of six 2-hour sessions. For TMS, the subject sits in a comfortable chair, with his or her forearm immobilized at the side and an electronic device attached to the thumb for measuring thumb movement. An insulated magnetic coil is placed on the scalp, through which a brief electrical current is occasionally delivered. The current passes through the coil, creating a magnetic pulse that travels through the scalp and skull and causes small electrical currents in the brain cortex. The stimulation is likely to cause a mild thumb movement. During the stimulation, electrical activity of muscles is recorded with a computer or other recording device, using electrodes taped to the skin. After an initial TMS session, the subject either 1) watches a video consisting of thumb movements in various directions, counting the number of movements, or 2) performs voluntary thumb movements, or 3) both observes the video and performs the movements. At the end of the 30-minute observation or practice session, the TMS is repeated.
Details: Motor training results in use dependent plasticity (UDP), thought to underlie recovery of motor function after brain injury. The purpose of this protocol is to determine (a) if movement observation results in encoding of a motor memory in the primary motor cortex and (b) if observation of motor training can enhance the effects of physical training. If so, this may become an important tool in rehabilitative treatment for patients who are unable or partially able to train. We will test our hypotheses by means of focal single pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in a group of healthy volunteers. Our outcome measure will be the change in TMS-evoked movement direction as a function of training strategy.
Eligibility:
Study Type: Observational, Natural History
Minimum Age/Maximum Age: /
Genders: Both
Protocol Entry Criteria: INCLUSION CRITERIA Only compliant adult volunteers between 18-80 years old identified after a normal neurological examination who are able to concentrate and to perform simple attentional tasks are eligible. Only healthy right-handed volunteers who fulfill the inclusion criteria, which is that only isolated thumb movements must be evoked by TMS will be included in this protocol. Handedness will be assessed by the Edinburgh inventory scale. Subjects should be able to sustain attention to the task over 30 minutes. EXCLUSION CRITERIA: History of surgery with metallic implants, history of metallic particles in the eye. Subjects with cardiac pacemaker, neural stimulators, cochlear implants, implanted medication pumps. Subjects with a history of alcohol and drug abuse, psychiatric illness (depression, attention deficit disorder, or dementia). Subjects with severe uncontrolled medical problems (e.g. cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, arthritis, active cancer, renal, liver, severe pulmonary diseases, infectious diseases). Subjects with epilepsy or history of loss of consciousness. Subjects with use of medications that influence synaptic plasticity as evaluated by the investigator, like antipsychotic, antidepressant acting drugs, benzodiazepines. Subjects above 80 years. Children. Pregnant women in the last trimenon.
Total Enrollment: 28
Location and Contact Information:
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) *Recruiting*
Bethesda, Maryland, 20892
United States
Recruiting Patient and Public Liaison Office 1-800-411-1222
Additional Information:
Study ID Numbers: 030074; 03-N-0074
Study Start Date: December 23, 2002
Record last reviewed: September 28, 2003
Additional information available at: clinicaltrials.gov
Clinicaltrials.gov Reference link: NCT00050869
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Learning a Motor Task Through Observation
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