Does Motor Imagery Training Enhance Control of Movement in Older Adults?

Not Applicable

Not yet recruiting

• Conditions: Healthy
• Interventions: Other: Motor imagery training

• Registration Number: NCT05669131
• Lead Sponsor: University of British Columbia

Brief Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is learn about motor imagery training (i.e. imagining a task) with healthy older adults. The main question this clinical trial aims to answer is:

• Will imagining a task improve control of force during an elbow flexion muscle contraction in healthy older adults?

Participants will:

* Complete questionaries about general activity levels and ability to imagine tasks

* Perform either motor imagery training or watch a documentary

* Perform maximal and submaximal elbow flexion contractions

Researchers will compare the motor imagery training with the control group to see if control of force is improved in the motor imagery training group.

Detailed Description

Motor imagery training could be beneficial in rehabilitative settings when participants are not physically capable of preforming a motor task or in injury prevention scenarios such as when multiple repetitions of a motor task should not be performed. If the effects of motor imagery training are favourable then they could have meaningful influence on the performance of steady movements in older adults who experience declines in force steadiness with age. Therefore, the first aim of this study will be to determine if one session of motor imagery training will influence corticospinal excitability in older adults and improve force steadiness during isometric elbow flexion contractions with the observed benefit being greater in females. The second aim of this study will be to determine if there is an associated change in oscillations in common synaptic input to motor neurons with a change in force steadiness.

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2022-11-29
• Status Verified: 2022-12
• Study Start: 2022-12
• Study First Submitted QC: 2022-12-29
• Last Update Submitted: 2022-12-29
• Study First Posted: 2022-12-30
• Last Update Posted: 2022-12-30
• Primary Completion: 2023-08
• Study Completion: 2023-08

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 60

Inclusion Criteria

Healthy older adults aged 65 to 90 years old

Exclusion Criteria

1. have had an injury or orthopaedic surgery to the arm or shoulder in the prior 6 months
2. are involved in high levels of upper-body strength training
3. have history of training in fine motor tasks (i.e., musicians)
4. have a history of MIT
5. have systemic diseases and/or nerve damage affecting neuromuscular function
6. have severe cognitive impairment
7. are unable to read or speak English fluently
8. are left hand dominant

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Motor Imagery Training	Motor imagery training	Participants will do motor imagery training in 5 minute blocks for a total of 20 minutes.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Force steadiness	Within one session: Change from baseline (immediately before session) to 20 minutes after the session	Measured as the the coefficient in variation of force
Corticospinal excitability	Within one session: Change from baseline (immediately before session) to 20 minutes after the session	Measured as the peak-to-peak amplitude of a motor evoked potential
Common synaptic input	Within one session: Change from baseline (immediately before session) to 20 minutes after the session	Estimated from motor unit discharge times.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Maximal elbow flexion force	Within one session: Change from baseline (immediately before session) to 20 minutes after the session	The total amount of force produced during a maximal contraction