AgingMIStNCT02813291
MI Practice and tDCS With Aging
A study testing tDCS in people with Aging and Motor Learning, run by Hospices Civils de Lyon at 1 site in France.
Trial summary
The mental repetition of movements - or motor imagery (MI) practice - facilitates motor learning. It allows avoiding fatigue that occurs during physical practice; this method is thus particularly interesting for elderly people. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 20 to 80 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Aging, Motor Learning
- What is being tested?
- tDCS
- Type of treatment
- Medical device
- Could I receive a placebo?
- Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
- How many people
- 64 participants
- Where
- 1 siteFrance
- Study dates
- 26 Apr 2017to 22 Mar 2019
- Phase
- Interventional
- 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 20 to 80 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Being aged between 20 and 35 years for the young subjects / between 65 and 80 years for the elderly subjects
- For elderly subjects: Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) ≥ 24
- Being a male or a female
- Being right handed
- Taking an effective method of contraception for the women of childbearing age
- Having signed the consent form
- Being registered with a social security scheme
Who cannot join
- Presenting a neurologic, psychiatric or motor trouble
- Practicing or having practiced at least 5 hours by week an activity involving a high manual dexterity (e.g. piano)
- Showing any contraindication to tDCS:
- History of epilepsy
- head trauma with loss of consciousness
- Implanted material (pacemaker, surgical clips, metal specks in the skull, etc.)
Show all 11Show fewer
- Past neurosurgical intervention
- Open sore on the scalp
- Consumption of more than three glasses of alcohol daily
- Use of drugs
- Pregnancy (positive pregnancy test)
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
France1 site
Hospices Civils de Lyon - Hôpital des Charpennes - 27, rue Gabriel Péri
Villeurbanne, 69100
About this study
Official title: Effects of Motor Imagery Practice Combined With Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in the Learning of a Complex Motor Sequence in Young and Elderly Subjects
The mental repetition of movements - or motor imagery (MI) practice - facilitates motor learning. It allows avoiding fatigue that occurs during physical practice; this method is thus particularly interesting for elderly people. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a noninvasive method of neurostimulation during which a low direct current is applied to the brain via electrodes placed on the scalp. This method has been successfully used to enhance motor learning in both young and elderly subjects.
The main aim of this study is to assess the impact of MI practice combined with tDCS on the learning of a complex finger sequence, in young and elderly subjects.
Read more
For that purpose, young and elderly healthy subjects will be randomly assigned to Stimulation and Sham groups. There will thus be a total of four groups: Young Stim, Young Sham, Elderly Stim, and Elderly Sham.
All subjects will participate to three training sessions spread over five days, and a retention test one week after the third training session.
During training they will mentally repeat a complex finger sequence with the left hand, for 13 min:
- Subjects of the Stimulation groups (Young Stim and Elderly Stim) will receive in parallel an anodal tDCS of the primary motor cortex.
- Subjects of the Sham groups (Young Sham and Elderly Sham) will receive in parallel a sham tDCS of the primary motor cortex.
Immediately before (pretest) and after (posttest) each training session, as well as during the retention test, subjects will repeat the sequence as many times of possible, for 1 min. During these tests (pretests, posttests and retention test) electroencephalographic activity will be recorded to assess the Mu rhythm power.
- Conditions
- Aging, Motor Learning
- Being tested
- tDCS, sham tDCS
- Keywords
- Motor imagery, transcranial direct current stimulation, motor learning, aging
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
tDCSDevice
All subjects will mentally repeat a complex finger sequence with the left hand, for 13 min:
- Subjects of the Stimulation groups (Young Stim and Elderly Stim) will receive in parallel an anodal tDCS of the primary motor cortex.
sham tDCSDevice
All subjects will mentally repeat a complex finger sequence with the left hand, for 13 min:
- Subjects of the Sham groups (Young Sham and Elderly Sham) will receive in parallel a sham tDCS of the primary motor cortex.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Stimulation group (Young Stim) | Experimental | Subjects of the Stimulation groups (Young Stim and Elderly Stim) will receive in parallel an anodal tDCS of the primary motor cortex. Receives: Device: tDCS |
| Stimulation group (Elderly Stim) | Experimental | Subjects of the Stimulation groups (Young Stim and Elderly Stim) will receive in parallel an anodal tDCS of the primary motor cortex. Receives: Device: tDCS |
| Sham group (Young Sham) | Sham comparator | Subjects of the Sham groups (Young Sham and Elderly Sham) will receive in parallel a sham tDCS of the primary motor cortex. Receives: Device: sham tDCS |
| Sham group (Elderly Sham) | Sham comparator | Subjects of the Sham groups (Young Sham and Elderly Sham) will receive in parallel a sham tDCS of the primary motor cortex. Receives: Device: sham tDCS |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Change in the number of correct sequences between first pretest and retention test
Change will be calculated using the following formulae: (number of correct sequences at retention test - number of correct sequences at first pretest) / number of correct sequences at first pretest × 100
Measured: The number of correct sequences will be assessed at pretest of the first training session (day 1) and at retention test (day 10).
Secondary outcomes (3)
Change in the number of correct sequences between first pretest and third posttest
Change will be calculated using the following formulae: (number of correct sequences at third posttest - number of correct sequences at first pretest) / number of correct sequences at first pretest × 100
Measured: The number of correct sequences will be assessed at pretest of the first training session (day 1) and at posttest of the third training session (day 3)
Change in the power of the Mu rhythm between first pretest and retention test
Change will be calculated using the following formulae: (power of the Mu rhythm at retention test - power of the Mu rhythm at first pretest) / power of the Mu rhythm at first pretest × 100
Measured: The power of the Mu rhythm will be assessed at pretest of the first training session (day 1) and at retention test (day 10)
Change in the power of the Mu rhythm between first pretest and third posttest
Change will be calculated using the following formulae: (power of the Mu rhythm at third posttest - power of the Mu rhythm at first pretest) / power of the Mu rhythm at first pretest × 100
Measured: The power of the Mu rhythm will be assessed at pretest of the first training session (day 1) and at posttest of the third session (day 3)
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted24 Jun 2016 (estimated)
- Study start26 Apr 2017
- Primary completion22 Mar 2019
- Study completion22 Mar 2019
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (2)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for AgingStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Hospices Civils de LyonThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- 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
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Double blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Care provider
- Enrolment
- 64 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Hospices Civils de Lyon
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Pierre Krolak-Salmon, Pr, PU-PH, Principal investigator, Hospices Civils de Lyon - Hôpital des Charpennes
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT02813291
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 69HCL15_0719
- Acronym
- MISt
- Status last verified
- Aug 2025
- First submitted
- 22 Jun 2016
- Last updated
- 3 Sep 2025
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Publications
Metais A., Muller C., Breuil C., Boublay N., di Rienzo F., Guillot A., Collet C., Krolak-Salmon P., Saimpont A. (2020). P143 Effects of Anodal tDCS combined with motor imagery on motor sequence learning in older adults. Clinical Neurophysiology 131(4):e93-e94. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clinph.2019.12.254
Muller C., Breuil C., Boublay N., Metais A., di Rienzo F., Guillot A., Collet C., Krolak-Salmon P., Saimpont A. (2020). P47 Effects of motor imagery and anodal tDCS on motor sequence learning in healthy young adults. Clinical Neurophysiology 131(4):e38-e39. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clinph.2019.12.158
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 3 Sep 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Effects of Motor Imagery Practice Combined With Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in the Learning of a Complex Motor Sequence in Young and Elderly Subjects
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT02813291
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- MISt / 69HCL15_0719
- Conditions
- Aging, Motor Learning
- Keywords
- Motor imagery, transcranial direct current stimulation, motor learning, aging
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 64 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Hospices Civils de LyonUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 26 Apr 2017 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 22 Mar 2019 (actual)
- Study completion
- 22 Mar 2019 (actual)
- First posted
- 24 Jun 2016 (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.
The mental repetition of movements - or motor imagery (MI) practice - facilitates motor learning. It allows avoiding fatigue that occurs during physical practice; this method is thus particularly interesting for elderly people. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a noninvasive method of neurostimulation during which a low direct current is applied to the brain via electrodes placed on the scalp. This method has been successfully used to enhance motor learning in both young and elderly subjects.
The main aim of this study is to assess the impact of MI practice combined with tDCS on the learning of a complex finger sequence, in young and elderly subjects.
For that purpose, young and elderly healthy subjects will be randomly assigned to Stimulation and Sham groups. There will thus be a total of four groups: Young Stim, Young Sham, Elderly Stim, and Elderly Sham.
All subjects will participate to three training sessions spread over five days, and a retention test one week after the third training session.
During training they will mentally repeat a complex finger sequence with the left hand, for 13 min:
- Subjects of the Stimulation groups (Young Stim and Elderly Stim) will receive in parallel an anodal tDCS of the primary motor cortex.
- Subjects of the Sham groups (Young Sham and Elderly Sham) will receive in parallel a sham tDCS of the primary motor cortex.
Immediately before (pretest) and after (posttest) each training session, as well as during the retention test, subjects will repeat the sequence as many times of possible, for 1 min. During these tests (pretests, posttests and retention test) electroencephalographic activity will be recorded to assess the Mu rhythm power.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Double blind (participant, care provider)
- Number of arms
- 4
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Stimulation group (Young Stim) | Experimental | Device: tDCSSubjects of the Stimulation groups (Young Stim and Elderly Stim) will receive in parallel an anodal tDCS of the primary motor cortex. |
| Stimulation group (Elderly Stim) | Experimental | Device: tDCSSubjects of the Stimulation groups (Young Stim and Elderly Stim) will receive in parallel an anodal tDCS of the primary motor cortex. |
| Sham group (Young Sham) | Sham comparator | Device: sham tDCSSubjects of the Sham groups (Young Sham and Elderly Sham) will receive in parallel a sham tDCS of the primary motor cortex. |
| Sham group (Elderly Sham) | Sham comparator | Device: sham tDCSSubjects of the Sham groups (Young Sham and Elderly Sham) will receive in parallel a sham tDCS of the primary motor cortex. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 20 to 80 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (7 listed)
- Being aged between 20 and 35 years for the young subjects / between 65 and 80 years for the elderly subjects
- For elderly subjects: Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) ≥ 24
- Being a male or a female
- Being right handed
- Taking an effective method of contraception for the women of childbearing age
Key exclusion criteria (11 listed)
- Presenting a neurologic, psychiatric or motor trouble
- Practicing or having practiced at least 5 hours by week an activity involving a high manual dexterity (e.g. piano)
- Showing any contraindication to tDCS:
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| tDCSAll subjects will mentally repeat a complex finger sequence with the left hand, for 13 min: - Subjects of the Stimulation groups (Young Stim and Elderly Stim) will receive in parallel an anodal tDCS of the primary motor cortex. | Device | Stimulation group (Elderly Stim), Stimulation group (Young Stim) |
| sham tDCSAll subjects will mentally repeat a complex finger sequence with the left hand, for 13 min: - Subjects of the Sham groups (Young Sham and Elderly Sham) will receive in parallel a sham tDCS of the primary motor cortex. | Device | Sham group (Elderly Sham), Sham group (Young Sham) |
Primary outcome
Change in the number of correct sequences between first pretest and retention test
Time frame: The number of correct sequences will be assessed at pretest of the first training session (day 1) and at retention test (day 10).
Change will be calculated using the following formulae: (number of correct sequences at retention test - number of correct sequences at first pretest) / number of correct sequences at first pretest × 100
3 secondary outcomes
Change in the number of correct sequences between first pretest and third posttest
Time frame: The number of correct sequences will be assessed at pretest of the first training session (day 1) and at posttest of the third training session (day 3)
Change in the power of the Mu rhythm between first pretest and retention test
Time frame: The power of the Mu rhythm will be assessed at pretest of the first training session (day 1) and at retention test (day 10)
Change in the power of the Mu rhythm between first pretest and third posttest
Time frame: The power of the Mu rhythm will be assessed at pretest of the first training session (day 1) and at posttest of the third session (day 3)
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 3 Sep 2025.
- BackgroundMetais A., Muller C., Breuil C., Boublay N., di Rienzo F., Guillot A., Collet C., Krolak-Salmon P., Saimpont A. (2020). P143 Effects of Anodal tDCS combined with motor imagery on motor sequence learning in older adults. Clinical Neurophysiology 131(4):e93-e94. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clinph.2019.12.254
- Results publicationMuller C., Breuil C., Boublay N., Metais A., di Rienzo F., Guillot A., Collet C., Krolak-Salmon P., Saimpont A. (2020). P47 Effects of motor imagery and anodal tDCS on motor sequence learning in healthy young adults. Clinical Neurophysiology 131(4):e38-e39. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clinph.2019.12.158
Related trials for Aging
Enrolling by invitationPhase 2
Tirzepatide and Organ-specific Biological Aging
Longevity, Preventive Medicine
Active, not recruiting
Emotional Well-being and Measures of Healthy Aging
Aging, Aging, Healthy
RecruitingPhase 2
Neuroplasticity Enhancement From Cognitive Training Reinforced by Psilocybin
Alzheimer's Disease
Active, not recruiting
Vascular Aging and Lp299v Study in Healthy Adults
Vascular Aging
RecruitingObservational study
Amyloid PET Imaging in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging
Aging
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.
Pierre Krolak-Salmon, Pr, PU-PH principal investigator
Hospices Civils de Lyon - Hôpital des Charpennes
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing tDCS in people with Aging and Motor Learning, run by Hospices Civils de Lyon at 1 site in France.
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 7 inclusion and 11 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 3 Sep 2025. 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 France. 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. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. 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.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Change in the number of correct sequences between first pretest and retention test (time frame: The number of correct sequences will be assessed at pretest of the first training session (day 1) and at retention test (day 10).). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT02813291, which also lists 2 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 3 Sep 2025.