NIH Clinical Research Studies

Protocol Number: 03-N-0074

Active Accrual, Protocols Recruiting New Patients

Title:
Encoding a Motor Memory by Action Observation
Number:
03-N-0074
Summary:
When a new motor task is learned, organizational changes occur in the motor cortex (outer part) of the brain; this cortical reorganization is referred to as use-dependent plasticity (UDP). People learn new motor skills through practice, but they also learn more quickly and easily by watching someone else perform the task. Because patients with motor disorders often cannot perform physical training, it would be helpful to develop motor rehabilitation strategies that do not rely solely on physical efforts. This study will use transcranial magnetic stimulation, or TMS (see below), to explore whether observing a motor task can enhance UDP.

Healthy right-handed volunteers between 18 and 50 years of age may be eligible for this study. Candidates will be screened with a brief medical history and physical examination. Eligible volunteers may participate in one or both parts of this two-part study. Each part involves a minimum of three and a maximum of six 2-hour sessions.

For TMS, the subject sits in a comfortable chair, with his or her forearm immobilized at the side and an electronic device attached to the thumb for measuring thumb movement. An insulated magnetic coil is placed on the scalp, through which a brief electrical current is occasionally delivered. The current passes through the coil, creating a magnetic pulse that travels through the scalp and skull and causes small electrical currents in the brain cortex. The stimulation is likely to cause a mild thumb movement. During the stimulation, electrical activity of muscles is recorded with a computer or other recording device, using electrodes taped to the skin.

After an initial TMS session, the subject either 1) watches a video consisting of thumb movements in various directions, counting the number of movements, or 2) performs voluntary thumb movements, or 3) both observes the video and performs the movements. At the end of the 30-minute observation or practice session, the TMS is repeated.

Sponsoring Institute:
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Recruitment Detail
Type: Active Accrual Of New Subjects
Gender: Male & Female
Referral Letter Required: No
Population Exclusion(s): Children

Eligibility Criteria:
INCLUSION CRITERIA

Only compliant adult volunteers between 18-80 years old identified after a normal neurological examination who are able to concentrate and to perform simple attentional tasks are eligible.

Only healthy right-handed volunteers who fulfill the inclusion criteria, which is that only isolated thumb movements must be evoked by TMS will be included in this protocol. Handedness will be assessed by the Edinburgh inventory scale. Subjects should be able to sustain attention to the task over 30 minutes.

EXCLUSION CRITERIA:

History of surgery with metallic implants, history of metallic particles in the eye.

Subjects with cardiac pacemaker, neural stimulators, cochlear implants, implanted medication pumps.

Subjects with a history of alcohol and drug abuse, psychiatric illness (depression, attention deficit disorder, or dementia).

Subjects with severe uncontrolled medical problems (e.g. cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, arthritis, active cancer, renal, liver, severe pulmonary diseases, infectious diseases).

Subjects with epilepsy or history of loss of consciousness.

Subjects with use of medications that influence synaptic plasticity as evaluated by the investigator, like antipsychotic, antidepressant acting drugs, benzodiazepines.

Subjects above 80 years.

Children.

Pregnant women in the last trimenon.

Special Instructions: Currently Not Provided
Keywords:
Mirror Neurons
Performance
Use-Dependent Plasticity
Attention
Premotor Cortex
Recruitment Keywords:
None
Conditions:
Healthy
Investigational Drug(s):
None
Investigational Device(s):
None

Contacts:
Patient Recruitment and Public Liaison Office
Building 61
10 Cloister Court
Bethesda, Maryland 20892-4754
Toll Free: 1-800-411-1222
TTY: 301-594-9774 (local),1-866-411-1010 (toll free)
Fax: 301-480-9793

Electronic Mail:prpl@mail.cc.nih.gov

Citations:
Fadiga L, Fogassi L, Pavesi G, Rizzolatti G. Motor facilitation during action observation: a magnetic stimulation study. J Neurophysiol. 1995 Jun;73(6):2608-11. PMID: 7666169

Hari R, Forss N, Avikainen S, Kirveskari E, Salenius S, Rizzolatti G. Activation of human primary motor cortex during action observation: a neuromagnetic study. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1998 Dec 8;95(25):15061-5. PMID: 9844015

Strafella AP, Paus T. Modulation of cortical excitability during action observation: a transcranial magnetic stimulation study.

Neuroreport. 2000 Jul 14;11(10):2289-92. PMID: 10923687

Active Accrual, Protocols Recruiting New Patients

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