Motor Skill Acquisition in Healthy Older AdultsTrainStimNCT07059533
Training in Combination With Non-invasive Brain Stimulation
A study testing Verum in people with Motor Skill Acquisition in Healthy Older Adults, run by Friedhelm Hummel at 1 site in Switzerland.
Trial summary
The goal of this study is to investigate the impact of non-invasive brain stimulation on motor skill acquisition in healthy individuals. Participants performed a motor task with non-invasive brain stimulation applied over the area of the brain where movements were controlled. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Motor Skill Acquisition in Healthy Older Adults
- What is being tested?
- Verum
- Could I receive a placebo?
- Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
- How many people
- 88 participants
- Where
- 1 siteSwitzerland
- Study dates
- 31 Mar 2017to 31 Jan 2025
- 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 18 years and older
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- age equals to or over 18 years old
- absence of major neurological, psychiatric and physical impairment, with normal or corrected to normal vision
- right handed
- in good general health
Who cannot join
- professional musicians/stenotypist
- unable to consent
- unable to perform the task as required (instructions and setup)
- exclusion criteria for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), transcranial electrical stimulation (tES), transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: Non-invasive Brain Stimulation to Enhance the Effects of Training in Healthy Old and Patients With Focal Brain Lesions
The goal of this study is to investigate the impact of non-invasive brain stimulation on motor skill acquisition in healthy individuals. Participants performed a motor task with non-invasive brain stimulation applied over the area of the brain where movements were controlled. The study compared motor skill performance between with the active stimulation and the placebo stimulation.
Read the detailed description
This study implemented a randomized, double-blinded, and sham-controlled design, investigating the effects of non-invasive brain stimulation on motor skill acquisition in healthy individuals.
- Being tested
- Verum, Placebo
- Keywords
- Non-invasive brain stimulation, Transcranial direct current stimulation
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
VerumOther
anodal transcranial direct current stimulation: 20 minutes of stimulation with 1 mA (ramp-up/ramp-down times of 8 seconds)
PlaceboOther
anodal transcranial direct current stimulation with 40 seconds of stimulation delivered at the beginning of training (with 8 seconds ramp-up and 5 seconds ramp-down times)
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Verum | Experimental | anodal transcranial direct current stimulation Receives: Other: Verum |
| Placebo | Placebo comparator | 40 seconds of stimulation delivered at the beginning of training (with 8 seconds ramp-up and 5 seconds ramp-down times) Receives: Other: Placebo |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Motor performance
Replication of a nine-digit sequence displayed on a screen, as quickly and as accurately as possible, using the left hand
Measured: From the start of the practice to the end of training at 5 days (and follow up on the 10th day and 60th day)
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted10 Jul 2025
- Study start31 Mar 2017
- Primary completion31 Jan 2025
- Study completion31 Jan 2025
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Motor Skill Acquisition in Healthy Older AdultsStudies 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
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Model description
- We randomly assigned participants to receive either real or placebo stimulation
- Masking
- Double blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Investigator
- Enrolment
- 88 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Friedhelm Hummel
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor-investigator, Friedhelm Hummel, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07059533
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 2017-00301
- Other IDs
- 2017
- Acronym
- TrainStim
- Status last verified
- Jul 2025
- First submitted
- 1 Jul 2025
- Last updated
- 10 Jul 2025
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Undecided
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 10 Jul 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Non-invasive Brain Stimulation to Enhance the Effects of Training in Healthy Old and Patients With Focal Brain Lesions
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07059533
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- TrainStim / 2017-00301
- Keywords
- Non-invasive brain stimulation, Transcranial direct current stimulation
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 88 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Friedhelm HummelUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 31 Mar 2017 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 31 Jan 2025 (actual)
- Study completion
- 31 Jan 2025 (actual)
- First posted
- 10 Jul 2025 (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 goal of this study is to investigate the impact of non-invasive brain stimulation on motor skill acquisition in healthy individuals. Participants performed a motor task with non-invasive brain stimulation applied over the area of the brain where movements were controlled. The study compared motor skill performance between with the active stimulation and the placebo stimulation.
Detailed description
This study implemented a randomized, double-blinded, and sham-controlled design, investigating the effects of non-invasive brain stimulation on motor skill acquisition in healthy individuals.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Double blind (participant, investigator)
- Number of arms
- 2
- Model description
- We randomly assigned participants to receive either real or placebo stimulation
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Verum | Experimental | Other: Verumanodal transcranial direct current stimulation |
| Placebo | Placebo comparator | Other: Placebo40 seconds of stimulation delivered at the beginning of training (with 8 seconds ramp-up and 5 seconds ramp-down times) |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- age equals to or over 18 years old
- absence of major neurological, psychiatric and physical impairment, with normal or corrected to normal vision
- right handed
- in good general health
Key exclusion criteria (4 listed)
- professional musicians/stenotypist
- unable to consent
- unable to perform the task as required (instructions and setup)
- exclusion criteria for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), transcranial electrical stimulation (tES), transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Verumanodal transcranial direct current stimulation: 20 minutes of stimulation with 1 mA (ramp-up/ramp-down times of 8 seconds) | Other | Verum |
| Placeboanodal transcranial direct current stimulation with 40 seconds of stimulation delivered at the beginning of training (with 8 seconds ramp-up and 5 seconds ramp-down times) | Other | Placebo |
Primary outcome
Motor performance
Time frame: From the start of the practice to the end of training at 5 days (and follow up on the 10th day and 60th day)
Replication of a nine-digit sequence displayed on a screen, as quickly and as accurately as possible, using the left hand
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 10 Jul 2025.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Undecided
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?
A study testing Verum in people with Motor Skill Acquisition in Healthy Older Adults, run by Friedhelm Hummel at 1 site in Switzerland.
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 4 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 10 Jul 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 Switzerland. 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?
Motor performance (time frame: From the start of the practice to the end of training at 5 days (and follow up on the 10th day and 60th day)). 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 10 Jul 2025.