AzTrials
AzTrials

Movement DisordersNCT00904332

Changes in the Posterior Parietal Cortex - Primary Motor Cortex Pathway Induced by Motor Training

An observational study of Movement Disorders and Heathly Subjects, run by National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) at 1 site in United States.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
Search all trials

Trial summary

Objective When learning to tap to a rhythm the brain has to coordinate information from different senses (eyes, ears, touch). This information has to be integrated into a movement plan to allow a smooth, continuous performance. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 50 years
Conditions the study is for
Movement Disorders, Heathly Subjects
How many people
20 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
14 May 2009to 29 Dec 2011
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 50 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult

Who may be able to join

  • Age over 18 years
  • Absence of any neurologic condition that might affect performance of the tasks in these experiments
  • Right handedness

Who cannot join

  • Taking medications which include antidepressants, anxiolytics, anticonvulsants, antipsychotics, antiparkinson, hypnotics, stimulants, and/or antihistamines
  • Received botulinum toxin injection within 3 months of starting the protocol
  • History of seizure disorder
  • Presence of implanted devised such as pacemakers, medication pumps or defibrillators, metal in the cranium except mouth, intracardiac lines, history of shrapnel injury or any other condition/device that may contraindicated or prevent the acquisition of MRI
  • A serious medical illness which prevents them from lying flat for up to 60 minutes
  • Claustrophobia (fear of tight spaces), which prevents them from lying still in a tight or small space for up to 40 minutes
Show all 9Show fewer
  • Five years or more of formal musical education in any instrument
  • Current pregnancy
  • Known hearing loss

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site
  • National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, 9000 Rockville Pike

    Bethesda, Maryland, 20892

Other trials in United States

About this study

Objective

When learning to tap to a rhythm the brain has to coordinate information from different senses (eyes, ears, touch). This information has to be integrated into a movement plan to allow a smooth, continuous performance. Two brain areas that are of particular interest for this task are the posterior parietal cortex that integrates sensory and motor information and the primary motor cortex that sends out the movement commands to the muscles. These areas communicate via nerve connections with each other. The goal of this research proposal is to examine if the strength of the connection between those areas can be changed by practicing a simple tapping task and if the change in connection strength depends on if the rhythms were shown by visual or auditory stimuli. Additionally we will investigate how the ability to tap rhythms relates to other cognitive abilities like problem solving.

Read more

Study Population

We intend to study 20 adult healthy volunteers on an outpatient basis.

Design

In three experimental sessions we propose to use transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and electro encephalography (EEG) to examine the role of the posterior parietal cortex in motor learning. In session 1 a neurological examination will be performed and a clinical and anatomical MRI (Magnet Resonance Image) will be taken. Session 1 can be skipped if an MRI and a neurological exam have been performed at the NIH during the last year. In session 2 TMS will be used to examine the connection between posterior parietal cortex and primary motor cortex before and after rhythm training. Additionally, EEG will be recorded during the training session. In session 3 we will examine how the ability to tap to different beats relates to higher cognitive functions. We will record EEG during tapping simple beats and we will administer a pen and paper problem-solving test.

Outcome Measures

In session 2 the primary outcome measure will be change in conditioned Motor Evoked Potential (MEP) peak-to-peak amplitude after learning temporal motor sequences measured in the primary motor cortex. A secondary outcome measure will be the interregional coherence changes as measured by EEG during training. In session 3 the primary outcome will be performance on the tapping task and on the pen and paper test as well as the interregional coherence changes as measured by EEG during the tapping task.

Read the detailed description

Objective

When learning to tap to a rhythm the brain has to coordinate information from different senses (eyes, ears, touch). This information has to be integrated into a movement plan to allow a smooth, continuous performance. Two brain areas that are of particular interest for this task are the posterior parietal cortex that integrates sensory and motor information and the primary motor cortex that sends out the movement commands to the muscles. These areas communicate via nerve connections with each other. The goal of this research proposal is to examine if the strength of the connection between those areas can be changed by practicing a simple tapping task and if the change in connection strength depends on if the rhythms were shown by visual or auditory stimuli. Additionally we will investigate how the ability to tap rhythms relates to other cognitive abilities like problem solving.

Study Population

We intend to study 20 adult healthy volunteers on an outpatient basis.

Design

In three experimental sessions we propose to use transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and electro encephalography (EEG) to examine the role of the posterior parietal cortex in motor learning. In session 1 a neurological examination will be performed and a clinical and anatomical MRI (Magnet Resonance Image) will be taken. Session 1 can be skipped if an MRI and a neurological exam have been performed at the NIH during the last year. In session 2 TMS will be used to examine the connection between posterior parietal cortex and primary motor cortex before and after rhythm training. Additionally, EEG will be recorded during the training session. In session 3 we will examine how the ability to tap to different beats relates to higher cognitive functions. We will record EEG during tapping simple beats and we will administer a pen and paper problem-solving test.

Outcome Measures

In session 2 the primary outcome measure will be change in conditioned Motor Evoked Potential (MEP) peak-to-peak amplitude after learning temporal motor sequences measured in the primary motor cortex. A secondary outcome measure will be the interregional coherence changes as measured by EEG during training. In session 3 the primary outcome will be performance on the tapping task and on the pen and paper test as well as the interregional coherence changes as measured by EEG during the tapping task.

Keywords
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), Electroencephalogram (EEG), Motor Learning, Health Volunteer, HV
Medical subject headings
Movement Disorders

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted19 May 2009 (estimated)
  2. Study start14 May 2009
  3. Study completion29 Dec 2011

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Observational
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrolment
20 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT00904332
Sponsor's protocol ID
090146
Other IDs
09-N-0146
Status last verified
29 Dec 2011
First submitted
16 May 2009
Last updated
2 Jul 2017
Results posted
No

Publications

  • Andrew C, Pfurtscheller G. Event-related coherence as a tool for studying dynamic interaction of brain regions. Electroencephalogr Clin Neurophysiol. 1996 Feb;98(2):144-8. doi: 10.1016/0013-4694(95)00228-6.

    PubMed 8598174
  • Andrew C, Pfurtscheller G. Dependence of coherence measurements on EEG derivation type. Med Biol Eng Comput. 1996 May;34(3):232-8. doi: 10.1007/BF02520079.

    PubMed 8762831
  • Baumer T, Bock F, Koch G, Lange R, Rothwell JC, Siebner HR, Munchau A. Magnetic stimulation of human premotor or motor cortex produces interhemispheric facilitation through distinct pathways. J Physiol. 2006 May 1;572(Pt 3):857-68. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.2006.104901.

    PubMed 16497712

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

An observational study of Movement Disorders and Heathly Subjects, 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 3 inclusion and 9 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 NCT00904332, 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.

Free account

Keep searching with a free account

You’ve used your 3 free searches for this session. Log in or create a free AzTrials account to keep searching clinical trials and save the ones you want to follow.

Create a free accountLog in