VestibularNCT03227718
VOR Suppression in Non-Gymnast Adults
An observational study of Vestibular and Performance, run by Virginia Commonwealth University at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
The researchers hypothesize that there is a correlation between Vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) performance and innate athletic skill level. A similar study was conducted in female, young adult gymnasts where a correlation was shown between VOR performance and gymnastic skill level. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 30 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Vestibular, Performance
- What is being tested?
- VOR and coordination measurements
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- How many people
- 12 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 1 Jan 2017to 18 Apr 2017
- 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 30 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Study population: Approximately 12 adults (6 ex-gymnastics, and 6 age matched, non-gymnast counterparts), ages 18-30 will be obtained via a sample of convenience from the University community. Subjects will be asked to wear a measurement system (Eyelink II, SR Research) that tracks head and eye movements as they perform as set of eye and head movements to measure saccadic eye movements, VOR and VOR suppression. Periodic calibrations will be performed throughout the experiment to test the continued reliability of the data.
Who may be able to join
- Normal, adults will be recruited from the University community via a sample of convenience.
Who cannot join
- Children under the age of 18.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
Virginia Commonwealth University
Richmond, Virginia, 23298
About this study
The researchers hypothesize that there is a correlation between Vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) performance and innate athletic skill level. A similar study was conducted in female, young adult gymnasts where a correlation was shown between VOR performance and gymnastic skill level. However, the results from this study did not suggest that VOR differences develop as a result of practice; rather that the differences in VOR may simply allow some individuals to become better performers. In this study the researchers would like to extend the population to adults both with and without a background in gymnastics to determine the natural relationship between VOR and innate athletic potential.
Read the detailed description
Sports like gymnastics, diving, and ice skating often involve rotational elements with high angular velocities. Many of these are airborne skills and have a significant element of risk. The athletes who perform these skills have to rely on sensory information from the visual and vestibular systems. It has been suggested that the vestibular system adapts to these types of inputs and the athlete no longer experiences dizziness associated with multiple rotations.
A recent Neuroscience abstract described a small study of the directional selectivity of vestibular habituation adult professional figure skaters. The results showed that figure skaters demonstrated a profound reduction in the magnitude of post-rotary nystagmus and caloric test response in their preferred direction of rotation. It was suggested that this sensitivity was a result of "habituation." The authors implied that the skaters learned to suppress vestibular receptors on the side that they turned toward. This deduction is based on patients that develop pathology on one side and learn to suppress the sensation on that side. However, we do not currently know if the developing vestibular system works the same way or if this is an inherited trait. Most of these athletes started as children, when their vestibular system was still developing, and may have a more fine-tuned vestibular system and be able to suppress certain reflexes. On the other hand, it could be that some people are born with the ability to suppress this sensation, thus allowing them to become elite athletes. Currently there isn't a defined relationship between a person's athleticism or athletic upbringing and their vestibular system performance.
A major component of vestibular performance is the Vestibular Ocular Reflex (VOR). The VOR is responsible for stabilizing the visual field on the retina during head movement. To accomplish this, the eyes are reflexively moved in a direction opposite the head. For example, in a twisting gymnast, this actually reduces the ability of gymnasts to see the landing during airborne skills. Hence, it becomes necessary for gymnasts to cancel or suppress their VOR in order to view the landing. A previous study conducted by the researchers determined that young, actively practicing gymnasts (mean age 15±2.2) had a higher ability to suppress their VOR than non-gymnasts of the same age. This previous study determined that there is a correlation between VOR performance and gymnastic skill level. However, these results do not suggest that the VOR differences develop as a result of practice.
This study aims to establish a relationship between VOR performance and athleticism. By comparing ex-gymnast adults (ages 18-30), and their age-matched, non-gymnast counterparts to the previous study results involving actively practicing, child gymnasts, a relationship between VOR performance and athletic skill can be determined. Furthermore, examining the VOR data collected from this study to data collected from tests aimed at determining athleticism, or a person's athletic potential, it may be possible to relate VOR performance to athletic skill; In other words, determining whether athletes are successful because their vestibular performance is superior to those whom are non-athletes, or it is a learned skill with practice.
- Conditions
- Vestibular, Performance
- Being tested
- VOR and coordination measurements
- Keywords
- VOR
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
VOR and coordination measurementsBehavioural
measurement of VOR and VOR suppression in addition to hand-eye coordination tasks
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| athletic background | ex-gymnasts Receives: Behavioral: VOR and coordination measurements | |
| control | age-matched non-gymnastics background Receives: Behavioral: VOR and coordination measurements |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) gain
amplitude of head v. eye velocities
Measured: 2 hour data collection period (Visit 1)
NASA Task Load Index
measure of cognitive load during task performance
Measured: Immediately after 2 hour data collection period (Visit 1)
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted24 Jul 2017
- Study start1 Jan 2017
- Primary completion18 Apr 2017
- Study completion18 Apr 2017
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for VestibularStudies 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
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Enrolment
- 12 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Virginia Commonwealth University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Peter Pidcoe, PT, DPT, Ph.D., Principal investigator, Virginia Commonwealth University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT03227718
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- HM20008030
- Status last verified
- Oct 2017
- First submitted
- 8 Jun 2017
- Last updated
- 26 Oct 2017
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 26 Oct 2017. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- VOR Suppression in Non-Gymnast Adults
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT03227718
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- HM20008030
- Conditions
- Vestibular, Performance
- Keywords
- VOR
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 12 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Virginia Commonwealth UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 Jan 2017 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 18 Apr 2017 (actual)
- Study completion
- 18 Apr 2017 (actual)
- First posted
- 24 Jul 2017 (actual)
- 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 researchers hypothesize that there is a correlation between Vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) performance and innate athletic skill level. A similar study was conducted in female, young adult gymnasts where a correlation was shown between VOR performance and gymnastic skill level. However, the results from this study did not suggest that VOR differences develop as a result of practice; rather that the differences in VOR may simply allow some individuals to become better performers. In this study the researchers would like to extend the population to adults both with and without a background in gymnastics to determine the natural relationship between VOR and innate athletic potential.
Detailed description
Sports like gymnastics, diving, and ice skating often involve rotational elements with high angular velocities. Many of these are airborne skills and have a significant element of risk. The athletes who perform these skills have to rely on sensory information from the visual and vestibular systems. It has been suggested that the vestibular system adapts to these types of inputs and the athlete no longer experiences dizziness associated with multiple rotations.
A recent Neuroscience abstract described a small study of the directional selectivity of vestibular habituation adult professional figure skaters. The results showed that figure skaters demonstrated a profound reduction in the magnitude of post-rotary nystagmus and caloric test response in their preferred direction of rotation. It was suggested that this sensitivity was a result of "habituation." The authors implied that the skaters learned to suppress vestibular receptors on the side that they turned toward. This deduction is based on patients that develop pathology on one side and learn to suppress the sensation on that side. However, we do not currently know if the developing vestibular system works the same way or if this is an inherited trait. Most of these athletes started as children, when their vestibular system was still developing, and may have a more fine-tuned vestibular system and be able to suppress certain reflexes. On the other hand, it could be that some people are born with the ability to suppress this sensation, thus allowing them to become elite athletes. Currently there isn't a defined relationship between a person's athleticism or athletic upbringing and their vestibular system performance.
A major component of vestibular performance is the Vestibular Ocular Reflex (VOR). The VOR is responsible for stabilizing the visual field on the retina during head movement. To accomplish this, the eyes are reflexively moved in a direction opposite the head. For example, in a twisting gymnast, this actually reduces the ability of gymnasts to see the landing during airborne skills. Hence, it becomes necessary for gymnasts to cancel or suppress their VOR in order to view the landing. A previous study conducted by the researchers determined that young, actively practicing gymnasts (mean age 15±2.2) had a higher ability to suppress their VOR than non-gymnasts of the same age. This previous study determined that there is a correlation between VOR performance and gymnastic skill level. However, these results do not suggest that the VOR differences develop as a result of practice.
This study aims to establish a relationship between VOR performance and athleticism. By comparing ex-gymnast adults (ages 18-30), and their age-matched, non-gymnast counterparts to the previous study results involving actively practicing, child gymnasts, a relationship between VOR performance and athletic skill can be determined. Furthermore, examining the VOR data collected from this study to data collected from tests aimed at determining athleticism, or a person's athletic potential, it may be possible to relate VOR performance to athletic skill; In other words, determining whether athletes are successful because their vestibular performance is superior to those whom are non-athletes, or it is a learned skill with practice.
Study design
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| athletic background | – | Behavioral: VOR and coordination measurementsex-gymnasts |
| control | – | Behavioral: VOR and coordination measurementsage-matched non-gymnastics background |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 30 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
- Study population
- Approximately 12 adults (6 ex-gymnastics, and 6 age matched, non-gymnast counterparts), ages 18-30 will be obtained via a sample of convenience from the University community. Subjects will be asked to wear a measurement system (Eyelink II, SR Research) that tracks head and eye movements as they perform as set of eye and head movements to measure saccadic eye movements, VOR and VOR suppression. Periodic calibrations will be performed throughout the experiment to test the continued reliability of the data.
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Normal, adults will be recruited from the University community via a sample of convenience.
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Children under the age of 18.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| VOR and coordination measurementsmeasurement of VOR and VOR suppression in addition to hand-eye coordination tasks | Behavioural | athletic background, control |
Primary outcome
vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) gain
Time frame: 2 hour data collection period (Visit 1)
amplitude of head v. eye velocities
NASA Task Load Index
Time frame: Immediately after 2 hour data collection period (Visit 1)
measure of cognitive load during task performance
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 26 Oct 2017.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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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.
Peter Pidcoe, PT, DPT, Ph.D. principal investigator
Virginia Commonwealth University
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 Vestibular and Performance, run by Virginia Commonwealth University 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 1 inclusion and 1 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 26 Oct 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.
What does the primary outcome measure?
vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) gain (time frame: 2 hour data collection period (Visit 1)). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
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 26 Oct 2017.