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Young AdultsNCT07009561

Cortical Excitability and Typing Performance After Action Observation and Motor Execution

A study testing Motor Execution Typing Task and Action Observation of Typing Task in people with Young Adults, run by University of Sharjah at 1 site in United Arab Emirates.

Not yet recruiting

Opening soon. The study is approved but enrolment has not started yet. Sites may already take enquiries.

Sites and contacts
Official record
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Trial summary

Goal: This study will aim to investigate the effects of different motor stimulation strategies-motor execution (ME) and action observation (AO)-on cortical excitability and typing performance in healthy individuals. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 26 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Young Adults
What is being tested?
Motor Execution Typing Task and Action Observation of Typing Task
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
60 participants
Where
1 siteUnited Arab Emirates
Study dates
15 Jun 2025to 30 Jul 2025
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
Not yet: the study is under way

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 26 years
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Adult

Who may be able to join

  • Age between 18 and 26 years
  • Healthy university students with no known neurological, psychiatric, or musculoskeletal conditions
  • Intact motor functioning of the upper limbs
  • Basic typing proficiency using a 10-finger typing method
  • Ability to understand study procedures and provide informed consent

Who cannot join

  • Typing speed less than 16 words per minute
  • Use of hunt-and-peck or single-finger typing style
  • History of seizures or epilepsy
  • Current use of neuroactive medications
  • Presence of metallic implants in the head or upper body
  • Any contraindications to Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)
  • Left-handed individuals using non-standard typing techniques (unless provided with adapted materials)

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.

Meeyoung Kim, Ph.D. contact

+971582591541

mkim@sharjah.ac.ae

United Arab Emirates1 site
  • University of Sharjah

    University City, Emirate of Sharjah

Other trials in United Arab Emirates

About this study

Official title: Comparison of Cortical Excitability and Typing Performance Across Action Observation, Motor Execution, and Control Conditions

Goal:

This study will aim to investigate the effects of different motor stimulation strategies-motor execution (ME) and action observation (AO)-on cortical excitability and typing performance in healthy individuals.

Read more

Recruitment:

A total of 60 healthy university students will be recruited and randomly assigned into three groups:

Motor Execution group (n=20) Action Observation group (n=20) Control group (n=20)

Evaluation Tools:

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) using DEYMED DuoMAG XT will be used to measure Resting Motor Threshold (RMT), Motor Evoked Potential (MEP) Amplitude, and MEP Latency of the First Dorsal Interosseous (FDI) muscle.

Online Typing Test will be used to assess typing speed (words per minute) and accuracy (percentage of correct characters).

Intervention:

The ME group will perform a 3-minute typing task. The AO group will observe a 3-minute first-person video of typing. The Control group will not receive any intervention between assessments.

All participants will undergo TMS and typing assessments twice, once before and once after the intervention.

Read the detailed description

This study will be designed as a randomized controlled trial to compare the effects of motor execution (ME) and action observation (AO) on cortical excitability and fine motor performance, using typing as the target motor task.

A total of 60 healthy university students will be recruited from the University of Sharjah through convenience sampling. Participants will be screened based on inclusion and exclusion criteria and will provide informed consent prior to enrollment. Eligible participants will then be randomly assigned into three groups (ME, AO, and Control), with stratification based on baseline typing proficiency to ensure balanced motor skill levels across groups.

All participants will undergo a pre-assessment session that will include a 3-minute typing task focused on the index finger and TMS testing targeting the First Dorsal Interosseous (FDI) muscle. TMS measures will include Resting Motor Threshold (RMT), MEP Amplitude, and MEP Latency.

During the intervention phase:

The ME group will perform the typing task for 3 minutes. The AO group will watch a 3-minute point-of-view video of the same typing task. The Control group will receive no intervention and will simply wait between the assessments.

After the intervention, participants in all groups will repeat the same typing task and TMS assessments in the post-assessment phase.

Typing performance will be evaluated using an online typing platform, capturing typing speed (words per minute) and accuracy (percentage of correct characters). TMS data will be collected using the DEYMED DuoMAG XT with consistent coil placement and stimulation parameters. Five reproducible MEPs will be recorded per participant per session to ensure reliability.

Conditions
Young Adults
Being tested
Motor Execution Typing Task, Action Observation of Typing Task
Keywords
Transcranial magnetic stimulation, Cortical excitability, Action observation, Motor execution, Typing

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Motor Execution Typing TaskBehavioural

    Participants will perform a 3-minute typing task using custom-designed text that emphasizes index finger use. This task is designed to actively engage the motor cortex and will be administered in a controlled environment using standard posture and equipment. The task aims to elicit changes in cortical excitability, which will be measured pre- and post-intervention using TMS.

  • Action Observation of Typing TaskBehavioural

    Participants will observe a 3-minute first-person video of an individual typing the standardized text. The video is designed to activate mirror neuron systems through visual engagement with a familiar motor task. It will be shown once in a controlled setting, and post-assessment of cortical excitability will follow immediately after.

Study groups in NCT07009561
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
MEExperimentalParticipants will undergo pre and post assessments. Each assessment include Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) and typing performance tests. Pre-assessment will be conducted in the first visit. In the second visit, Motor Execution (ME) group will perform a 3-minute typing task using both hands in a standardized posture. The typing task will consist of custom-designed text that emphasizes use of the index finger, matching the target muscle for TMS. Participants will then undergo post-assessment as same as the pre-assessment within 15 minutes after completing the typing task. There will be time window more than 48 hours between visits.
Receives: Behavioral: Motor Execution Typing Task
AOExperimentalParticipants will undergo pre and post assessments. Each assessment include Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) and typing performance tests. Pre-assessment will be conducted in the first visit. During the second visit, participants in the Action Observation (AO) group will observe a 3-minute first-person point-of-view video of a person typing the same standardized text used in the ME group. The video will emphasize index finger movement on a QWERTY keyboard. Participants will then undergo post-assessment as same as the pre-assessment within 15 minutes after watching the typing video. There will be time window more than 48 hours between visits.
Receives: Behavioral: Action Observation of Typing Task
ControlNo interventionParticipants in the Control group will not receive any intervention between the pre- and post-assessments. They will undergo the same assessments as the other groups to allow comparison of changes in cortical excitability and typing performance. There will be time window more than 48 hours between visits.

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Change in Resting Motor Threshold (RMT)

    Resting Motor Threshold (RMT) will be measured using Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) targeting the First Dorsal Interosseous (FDI) muscle. RMT is defined as the minimum stimulation intensity required to evoke a measurable motor evoked potential (MEP) of ≥50 µV in at least 5 out of 10 trials.

    Measured: Pre-intervention (Day 1) and Post-intervention (within 15 minutes after intervention on Day 2, between 48 hours to a 3-week window)

  2. Change in MEP Latency and Amplitude

    Motor Evoked Potential (MEP) latency (in milliseconds) and amplitude (in µV) will be assessed using TMS. These measures reflect neural conduction time and the magnitude of cortical response, respectively.

    Measured: Pre-intervention (Day 1) and Post-intervention (within 15 minutes after intervention on Day 2, between 48 hours to a 3-week window)

  3. Change in Typing Speed (Words Per Minute)

    Typing speed will be measured using a standardized online typing platform, expressed in words per minute (WPM). Participants will complete a 3-minute typing task using custom text emphasizing index finger usage.

    Measured: Pre-intervention (Day 1) and Post-intervention (within 15 minutes after intervention on Day 2, between 48 hours to a 3-week window)

  4. Change in Typing Accuracy

    Typing accuracy will be recorded as the percentage of correctly typed characters during a 3-minute standardized typing task using an online platform.

    Measured: Pre-intervention (Day 1) and Post-intervention (within 15 minutes after intervention on Day 2, between 48 hours to a 3-week window)

Timeline

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

  1. First posted6 Jun 2025
  2. Study start15 Jun 2025 (estimated)
  3. Primary completion30 Jun 2025 (estimated)
  4. Study completion30 Jul 2025 (estimated)

Resources

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
Model description
This study will be a prospective, double-blinded, parallel, randomized controlled trial. A total of 60 participants will be randomly assigned into three groups: Motor Execution (ME), Action Observation (AO), and Control. Each group will consist of 20 participants. Interventions will include a 3-minute typing task (ME), a 3-minute observation video (AO), or no task (Control). All participants will undergo pre- and post-intervention typing and TMS assessments.
Masking
Double blind
Who is masked
Participant, Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
60 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT07009561
Sponsor's protocol ID
TMStyping
Status last verified
May 2025
First submitted
29 May 2025
Last updated
6 Jun 2025
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
Yes: De-identified individual participant data (IPD) collected during the study will be made available to qualified researchers upon reasonable request. Data will be shared for the purpose of academic research and meta-analyses related to motor learning, neuroplasticity, and rehabilitation.

Publications

  • Bhattacharya A, Mrudula K, Sreepada SS, Sathyaprabha TN, Pal PK, Chen R, Udupa K. An Overview of Noninvasive Brain Stimulation: Basic Principles and Clinical Applications. Can J Neurol Sci. 2022 Jul;49(4):479-492. doi: 10.1017/cjn.2021.158. Epub 2021 Jul 9.

    PubMed 34238393
  • Birdsong D. Plasticity, Variability and Age in Second Language Acquisition and Bilingualism. Front Psychol. 2018 Mar 12;9:81. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00081. eCollection 2018.

    PubMed 29593590
  • Grilc N, Valappil AC, Tillin NA, Mian OS, Wright DJ, Holmes PS, Castelli F, Bruton AM. Motor imagery drives the effects of combined action observation and motor imagery on corticospinal excitability for coordinative lower-limb actions. Sci Rep. 2024 Jun 6;14(1):13057. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-63758-6.

    PubMed 38844650
  • Ma ZZ, Wu JJ, Hua XY, Zheng MX, Xing XX, Ma J, Li SS, Shan CL, Xu JG. Brain Function and Upper Limb Deficit in Stroke With Motor Execution and Imagery: A Cross-Sectional Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study. Front Neurosci. 2022 May 19;16:806406. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2022.806406. eCollection 2022.

    PubMed 35663563

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Motor Execution Typing Task and Action Observation of Typing Task in people with Young Adults, run by University of Sharjah at 1 site in United Arab Emirates.

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 5 inclusion and 7 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: opening soon, as of the sponsor's last update on 6 Jun 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 United Arab Emirates. 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?

This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

Contact Meeyoung Kim, Ph.D. (+971582591541, mkim@sharjah.ac.ae), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Change in Resting Motor Threshold (RMT) (time frame: Pre-intervention (Day 1) and Post-intervention (within 15 minutes after intervention on Day 2, between 48 hours to a 3-week window)). The study lists 4 primary outcomes in all. 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 NCT07009561, which also lists 4 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 6 Jun 2025.

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