Learning a Motor Task Through Observation

Completed

• Conditions: Healthy

• Registration Number: NCT00050869
• Lead Sponsor: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)

Brief Summary

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 in healthy volunteers. 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. So far we found that this is the case in healthy volunteers (see data in analysis of the study). The purpose of this amendment is to determine if action observation can elicit the same effects in adult chronic ischemic stroke patients who have had originally significant motor weakness but recovered to the point of being able to perform the motor tasks, possibly resulting in a useful rehabilitative strategy.

Detailed Description

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 in healthy volunteers. 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. So far we found that this is the case in healthy volunteers (see data in analysis of the study). The purpose of this protocol is to determine if action observation can elicit the same effects in adult chronic ischemic stroke patients who have had originally significant motor weakness but recovered to the point of being able to perform the motor tasks, possibly resulting in a useful rehabilitative strategy.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2002-12-23
• Study First Submitted: 2002-12-27
• Study First Submitted QC: 2002-12-27
• Study First Posted: 2002-12-30
• Status Verified: 2007-11-15
• Study Completion: 2007-11-15
• Last Update Submitted: 2017-06-30
• Last Update Posted: 2017-07-02

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 56

Inclusion Criteria

Not provided

Exclusion Criteria

Not provided

Study & Design

• Study Type: OBSERVATIONAL
• Study Design: Not specified

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, 9000 Rockville Pike; 🇺🇸 Bethesda, Maryland, United States