Cortical Excitability and Typing Performance After Action Observation and Motor Execution

Not Applicable

Not yet recruiting

• Conditions: Young Adults

• Registration Number: NCT07009561
• Lead Sponsor: University of Sharjah

Brief Summary

Goal:

This study will aim to investigate the effects of different motor stimulation strategies-motor execution (ME) and action observation (AO)-on cortical excitability and typing performance in healthy individuals.

Recruitment:

A total of 60 healthy university students will be recruited and randomly assigned into three groups:

Motor Execution group (n=20) Action Observation group (n=20) Control group (n=20)

Evaluation Tools:

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) using DEYMED DuoMAG XT will be used to measure Resting Motor Threshold (RMT), Motor Evoked Potential (MEP) Amplitude, and MEP Latency of the First Dorsal Interosseous (FDI) muscle.

Online Typing Test will be used to assess typing speed (words per minute) and accuracy (percentage of correct characters).

Intervention:

The ME group will perform a 3-minute typing task. The AO group will observe a 3-minute first-person video of typing. The Control group will not receive any intervention between assessments.

All participants will undergo TMS and typing assessments twice, once before and once after the intervention.

Detailed Description

This study will be designed as a randomized controlled trial to compare the effects of motor execution (ME) and action observation (AO) on cortical excitability and fine motor performance, using typing as the target motor task.

A total of 60 healthy university students will be recruited from the University of Sharjah through convenience sampling. Participants will be screened based on inclusion and exclusion criteria and will provide informed consent prior to enrollment. Eligible participants will then be randomly assigned into three groups (ME, AO, and Control), with stratification based on baseline typing proficiency to ensure balanced motor skill levels across groups.

All participants will undergo a pre-assessment session that will include a 3-minute typing task focused on the index finger and TMS testing targeting the First Dorsal Interosseous (FDI) muscle. TMS measures will include Resting Motor Threshold (RMT), MEP Amplitude, and MEP Latency.

During the intervention phase:

The ME group will perform the typing task for 3 minutes. The AO group will watch a 3-minute point-of-view video of the same typing task. The Control group will receive no intervention and will simply wait between the assessments.

After the intervention, participants in all groups will repeat the same typing task and TMS assessments in the post-assessment phase.

Typing performance will be evaluated using an online typing platform, capturing typing speed (words per minute) and accuracy (percentage of correct characters). TMS data will be collected using the DEYMED DuoMAG XT with consistent coil placement and stimulation parameters. Five reproducible MEPs will be recorded per participant per session to ensure reliability.

Study Timeline

• Status Verified: 2025-05
• Study First Submitted: 2025-05-29
• Study First Submitted QC: 2025-05-29
• Last Update Submitted: 2025-05-29
• Study First Posted: 2025-06-06
• Last Update Posted: 2025-06-06
• Study Start: 2025-06-15
• Primary Completion: 2025-06-30
• Study Completion: 2025-07-30

Recruitment & Eligibility

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

Inclusion Criteria

• Age between 18 and 26 years
• Healthy university students with no known neurological, psychiatric, or musculoskeletal conditions
• Intact motor functioning of the upper limbs
• Basic typing proficiency using a 10-finger typing method
• Ability to understand study procedures and provide informed consent

Exclusion Criteria

• Typing speed less than 16 words per minute
• Use of hunt-and-peck or single-finger typing style
• History of seizures or epilepsy
• Current use of neuroactive medications
• Presence of metallic implants in the head or upper body
• Any contraindications to Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)
• Left-handed individuals using non-standard typing techniques (unless provided with adapted materials)

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Change in Resting Motor Threshold (RMT)	Pre-intervention (Day 1) and Post-intervention (within 15 minutes after intervention on Day 2, between 48 hours to a 3-week window)	Resting Motor Threshold (RMT) will be measured using Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) targeting the First Dorsal Interosseous (FDI) muscle. RMT is defined as the minimum stimulation intensity required to evoke a measurable motor evoked potential (MEP) of ≥50 µV in at least 5 out of 10 trials.
Change in MEP Latency and Amplitude	Pre-intervention (Day 1) and Post-intervention (within 15 minutes after intervention on Day 2, between 48 hours to a 3-week window)	Motor Evoked Potential (MEP) latency (in milliseconds) and amplitude (in µV) will be assessed using TMS. These measures reflect neural conduction time and the magnitude of cortical response, respectively.
Change in Typing Speed (Words Per Minute)	Pre-intervention (Day 1) and Post-intervention (within 15 minutes after intervention on Day 2, between 48 hours to a 3-week window)	Typing speed will be measured using a standardized online typing platform, expressed in words per minute (WPM). Participants will complete a 3-minute typing task using custom text emphasizing index finger usage.
Change in Typing Accuracy	Pre-intervention (Day 1) and Post-intervention (within 15 minutes after intervention on Day 2, between 48 hours to a 3-week window)	Typing accuracy will be recorded as the percentage of correctly typed characters during a 3-minute standardized typing task using an online platform.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

University of Sharjah; 🇦🇪 University city, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates