Neurophysiological and Functional Mechanisms of Motor Control and Learning

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation
• Interventions: Procedure: tDCS-NeuroConn.; Procedure: TMS - Magstim.; Procedure: Sham tDCS

• Registration Number: NCT03190590
• Lead Sponsor: NYU Langone Health

Brief Summary

Noninvasive stimulation of the central nervous system, including transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), has been increasingly used in the investigation of cortical plasticity. The purpose of our study is to understand mechanistically-at the neurophysiological and systems levels-how the brain learns new motor skills. We propose to study the acquisition, consolidation, and retention of motor skill learning in healthy subjects. At the behavioral level, we will use movement kinematics to quantify and characterize movement, which allow us to infer functional strategies used by the brain to reduce movement errors. At a neurophysiological level, we will use TMS to document changes in cortical circuitry, which will allow us to infer neuroplastic changes possibly subserving these strategies. At a systems level, we will enhance motor system excitability using tDCS, which will enable us to infer the contribution of the stimulated area to the motor system's ability to learn new skills.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2017-06-14
• Study First Submitted QC: 2017-06-14
• Study First Posted: 2017-06-19
• Study Start: 2018-03-20
• Primary Completion: 2018-07-18
• Study Completion: 2018-07-18
• Status Verified: 2024-04
• Last Update Submitted: 2024-04-26
• Last Update Posted: 2024-04-29

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 30

Inclusion Criteria

• Right-handed dominance
• Ability to give informed consent

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Exclusion Criteria

• active and/or chronic neurological, psychiatric (including depression), or medical conditions
• psychoactive medication use
• active drug/alcohol dependence or abuse history
• homelessness or other social situation that would preclude consistent visits
• history of head injury (including neurosurgery)
• history of seizure
• inability to comprehend or participate in the procedures involved
• metal in the head (besides in mouth), such as implanted electrodes or devices, shrapnel, surgical clips, or fragments from welding/metalwork
• implanted devices (such as cardiac pacemakers, medical pumps, or intracardiac lines) in the thorax

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Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Transcranial direct current stimulator (tDCS)	tDCS-NeuroConn.	tDCS is delivered noninvasively via electrodes applied to the surface of the head, and a mild electrical current is given during motor training.
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)	TMS - Magstim.	TMS is delivered noninvasively via a hand-held coil applied to the surface of the head, and a magnetic pulse probes cortical circuitry \[this is not repetitive TMS and so does NOT modulate brain excitability.\]
Sham-tDCS	Sham tDCS	delivered by briefly turning on and off the stimulator at the beginning of training, which mimics the sensation of true stimulation.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Motor skill gain from day 1 to day 5	5 Days	defined as an improvement in performance accuracy at fixed movement speeds (see 5.2 for description of task and outcome). The delta in accuracy between day 1 and day 5 equates to motor skill learning.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

New York University School of Medicine; 🇺🇸 New York, New York, United States