Motor MemoryNCT00393432
Enhancing Motor Task Training by Action Observation Watching Others Perform the Task
An observational study of Motor Memory, run by National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
This study will determine how the brain learns a new motor task when the subject practices the task and watches others perform it (action observation) at the same time. Healthy normal volunteers between 18 and 55 years of age may be eligible for this study. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 55 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Motor Memory
- How many people
- 40 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 18 Oct 2006to 18 Jul 2008
- Phase
- Observational
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 55 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- Age between 18-55 years
- Able to perform tasks required by the study
- Willing and able to give consent
- Possibility to obtain TMS-evoked thumb movements in a consistent direction at baseline
Who cannot join
- Subjects are not eligible for this experiment if they:
- Are unable to perform the tasks
- Have history of severe alcohol or drug abuse, psychiatric illness like severe depression and poor motivational capacity
- Have problems with movement of the hands
- Are receiving drugs acting primarily on the central nervous system
- Are pregnant
Show all 12Show fewer
- Have medical or technical contraindications to MRI procedures or devices producing artifacts that impair MRI signal (e.g., dental braces, pacemakers, implanted medication pumps, cochlear devices, neural stimulators, metal in the cranium, surgical clips, and other metal/magnetic implants, claustrophobia)
- Have had an allergic reaction to scopolamine. Have glaucoma, severe liver disease, kidney disease, an enlarged prostrate gland or a blocked digestive tube
- Have had an allergic reaction to dextromethorphan
- Are using a MAO inhibitor (such as Parnate [registered trademark], Nardil [registered trademark], or Marplan [registered trademark] or if you have used one of these drugs in the past 2 weeks
- Have asthma
- Are taking pain or arthritis medicine (sometimes called NSAIDs) such as aspirin, ibuprofen, or naproxen on a regular basis
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, 9000 Rockville Pike
Bethesda, Maryland, 20892
About this study
Official title: Enhancing Motor Memory Encoding by Action Observation
This study will determine how the brain learns a new motor task when the subject practices the task and watches others perform it (action observation) at the same time.
Healthy normal volunteers between 18 and 55 years of age may be eligible for this study. Candidates are screened with a medical history, general and neurological exam, and a brain MRI if one has not been done within 12 months of entering the study. Participants undergo one or both of the following experiments:
Read more
- Effect of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation on Motor Training and Action Observation Subjects participate in at least 12 4-hour test sessions, separated by at least 1 day. Each session includes the following:
- Functional MRI (fMRI): MRI scanning uses a magnetic field and radio waves to produce images of the brain. For fMRI, the subject performs tasks during the scan to allow researchers to see brain changes that occur during performance of the activity.
- Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS): For this test, a wire coil is held on the scalp. A brief electrical current passes through the coil to stimulate the brain. The stimulation may cause a twitch in muscles of the face, arm, or leg, and the subject may hear a click and feel a pulling sensation on the skin under the coil. During the stimulation, the subject is asked to: 1) perform the training task (make brisk thumb movements); 2) watch a video showing the hand of another person performing the same task; and 3) perform the task and watch the video at the same time, synchronizing his or her movements with those observed in the video.
- Surface electromyography: Electrodes are filled with a conductive gel and taped to the skin over a hand muscle to measure the electrical activity of the muscle.
- Behavioral measurements: Evaluation of learned movement tasks.
- Questionnaires to test attention, fatigue and mood before, during and after each test session.
- Effect of Pharmacological Agents on Motor Training and Action Observation
Subjects participate in no more than 12 5-hour test sessions, separated by at least 2 days. In the course of the 12 sessions, subjects receive each of three medications - dextromethorphan, scopolamine and rivastigmine - three times and a placebo (pill with no active ingredient) three times. During each session, subjects have TMS measurements, behavioral measurements and electromyography as described in experiment 1.
Read the detailed description
Motor training (MT) elicits formation of motor memories in the human primary motor cortex. Observing another individual perform motor training (Action Observation, AO) also results in formation of motor memories in M1. AO enhances motor training effects (MT+AO) on the formation of motor memories. Possible underlying mechanisms include long-term potentiation (LTP), a process influenced by N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor activation, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), norepinephrine (NE), dopamine and acetylcholine (Ach), taking place at the confluence of inputs from PMv over the primary motor cortex (M1).
The purpose of this protocol is to gain insight into the mechanisms underlying motor memory formation by MT+AO. We plan to perform two different types of experiments: In experiment 1, we will modulate activity in PMv using TMS to investigate the role of this cortical area on motor memory formation induced by MT+AO. In experiment 2, we will test the effects of single doses of (a) the NMDA receptor antagonist dextromethorphan, (b) the muscarinic receptor antagonist scopolamine, both known to disrupt LTP, and (c) the cholinesterase inhibitor rivastigmine, which enhances LTP.
The primary outcome measure of motor memory formation will be the percentage of TMS-evoked movements that fall within the training target zone (TTZ) before and after MT+AO. The secondary outcome measure will be the percentage of TMS-evoked movements that fall within TTZ before and after MT alone and AO alone.
Expected results are (1) upregulation of activity in PMv using 0.1 Hz TMS will enhance motor memory formation induced by MT+AO more than sham TMS and downregulation of PMv using 0.9 Hz TMS and (2) dextromethorphan and scopolamine will decrease but rivastigmine will increase motor memory formation induced by MT+AO with placebo. This study may provide useful information on the mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of action observation on neuroplasticity.
- Conditions
- Motor Memory
- Keywords
- Action Observation, Motor Memory, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), Use-Dependent Plasticity, Healthy Volunteer, HV
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted27 Oct 2006 (estimated)
- Study start18 Oct 2006
- Study completion18 Jul 2008
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (3)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Motor MemoryStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Observational
- Enrolment
- 40 participants
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
- Sponsor type
- US National Institutes of Health
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT00393432
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 070010
- Other IDs
- 07-N-0010
- Status last verified
- 18 Jul 2008
- First submitted
- 26 Oct 2006
- Last updated
- 2 Jul 2017
- Results posted
- No
Publications
Apland JP, Braitman DJ. Effects of non-opioid antitussives on epileptiform activity and NMDA responses in hippocampal and olfactory cortex slices. Brain Res. 1990 Oct 8;529(1-2):277-85. doi: 10.1016/0006-8993(90)90838-3.
PubMed 2282497Buccino G, Binkofski F, Fink GR, Fadiga L, Fogassi L, Gallese V, Seitz RJ, Zilles K, Rizzolatti G, Freund HJ. Action observation activates premotor and parietal areas in a somatotopic manner: an fMRI study. Eur J Neurosci. 2001 Jan;13(2):400-4.
PubMed 11168545Butefisch CM, Khurana V, Kopylev L, Cohen LG. Enhancing encoding of a motor memory in the primary motor cortex by cortical stimulation. J Neurophysiol. 2004 May;91(5):2110-6. doi: 10.1152/jn.01038.2003. Epub 2004 Jan 7.
PubMed 14711974
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 2 Jul 2017. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Enhancing Motor Memory Encoding by Action Observation
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT00393432
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 070010
- Conditions
- Motor Memory
- Keywords
- Action Observation, Motor Memory, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), Use-Dependent Plasticity, Healthy Volunteer, HV
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 40 participants
- Lead sponsor
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)US National Institutes of Health
- Study start
- 18 Oct 2006
- Study completion
- 18 Jul 2008
- First posted
- 27 Oct 2006 (estimated)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This study will determine how the brain learns a new motor task when the subject practices the task and watches others perform it (action observation) at the same time.
Healthy normal volunteers between 18 and 55 years of age may be eligible for this study. Candidates are screened with a medical history, general and neurological exam, and a brain MRI if one has not been done within 12 months of entering the study. Participants undergo one or both of the following experiments:
- Effect of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation on Motor Training and Action Observation Subjects participate in at least 12 4-hour test sessions, separated by at least 1 day. Each session includes the following:
- Functional MRI (fMRI): MRI scanning uses a magnetic field and radio waves to produce images of the brain. For fMRI, the subject performs tasks during the scan to allow researchers to see brain changes that occur during performance of the activity.
- Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS): For this test, a wire coil is held on the scalp. A brief electrical current passes through the coil to stimulate the brain. The stimulation may cause a twitch in muscles of the face, arm, or leg, and the subject may hear a click and feel a pulling sensation on the skin under the coil. During the stimulation, the subject is asked to: 1) perform the training task (make brisk thumb movements); 2) watch a video showing the hand of another person performing the same task; and 3) perform the task and watch the video at the same time, synchronizing his or her movements with those observed in the video.
- Surface electromyography: Electrodes are filled with a conductive gel and taped to the skin over a hand muscle to measure the electrical activity of the muscle.
- Behavioral measurements: Evaluation of learned movement tasks.
- Questionnaires to test attention, fatigue and mood before, during and after each test session.
- Effect of Pharmacological Agents on Motor Training and Action Observation
Subjects participate in no more than 12 5-hour test sessions, separated by at least 2 days. In the course of the 12 sessions, subjects receive each of three medications - dextromethorphan, scopolamine and rivastigmine - three times and a placebo (pill with no active ingredient) three times. During each session, subjects have TMS measurements, behavioral measurements and electromyography as described in experiment 1.
Detailed description
Motor training (MT) elicits formation of motor memories in the human primary motor cortex. Observing another individual perform motor training (Action Observation, AO) also results in formation of motor memories in M1. AO enhances motor training effects (MT+AO) on the formation of motor memories. Possible underlying mechanisms include long-term potentiation (LTP), a process influenced by N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor activation, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), norepinephrine (NE), dopamine and acetylcholine (Ach), taking place at the confluence of inputs from PMv over the primary motor cortex (M1).
The purpose of this protocol is to gain insight into the mechanisms underlying motor memory formation by MT+AO. We plan to perform two different types of experiments: In experiment 1, we will modulate activity in PMv using TMS to investigate the role of this cortical area on motor memory formation induced by MT+AO. In experiment 2, we will test the effects of single doses of (a) the NMDA receptor antagonist dextromethorphan, (b) the muscarinic receptor antagonist scopolamine, both known to disrupt LTP, and (c) the cholinesterase inhibitor rivastigmine, which enhances LTP.
The primary outcome measure of motor memory formation will be the percentage of TMS-evoked movements that fall within the training target zone (TTZ) before and after MT+AO. The secondary outcome measure will be the percentage of TMS-evoked movements that fall within TTZ before and after MT alone and AO alone.
Expected results are (1) upregulation of activity in PMv using 0.1 Hz TMS will enhance motor memory formation induced by MT+AO more than sham TMS and downregulation of PMv using 0.9 Hz TMS and (2) dextromethorphan and scopolamine will decrease but rivastigmine will increase motor memory formation induced by MT+AO with placebo. This study may provide useful information on the mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of action observation on neuroplasticity.
Study design
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 55 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
Key exclusion criteria (12 listed)
- Are unable to perform the tasks
- Have history of severe alcohol or drug abuse, psychiatric illness like severe depression and poor motivational capacity
- Have problems with movement of the hands
- Are receiving drugs acting primarily on the central nervous system
- Are pregnant
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Primary outcome
Not reported in the source record.
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 2 Jul 2017.
- Background: PubMed 2282497Apland JP, Braitman DJ. Effects of non-opioid antitussives on epileptiform activity and NMDA responses in hippocampal and olfactory cortex slices. Brain Res. 1990 Oct 8;529(1-2):277-85. doi: 10.1016/0006-8993(90)90838-3.
- Background: PubMed 11168545Buccino G, Binkofski F, Fink GR, Fadiga L, Fogassi L, Gallese V, Seitz RJ, Zilles K, Rizzolatti G, Freund HJ. Action observation activates premotor and parietal areas in a somatotopic manner: an fMRI study. Eur J Neurosci. 2001 Jan;13(2):400-4.
- Background: PubMed 14711974Butefisch CM, Khurana V, Kopylev L, Cohen LG. Enhancing encoding of a motor memory in the primary motor cortex by cortical stimulation. J Neurophysiol. 2004 May;91(5):2110-6. doi: 10.1152/jn.01038.2003. Epub 2004 Jan 7.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of Motor Memory, run by National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 12 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 2 Jul 2017. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT00393432, which also lists 3 linked publications.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 2 Jul 2017.