Does Motor Imagery Training Enhance Control of Movement in Older Adults?

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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The goal of this clinical trial is learn about motor imagery training (i.e. imagining a task) with healthy older adults. The main question this clinical trial aims to answer is: • Will imagining a task improve control of force during an elbow flexion muscle contraction in healthy older adults? Participants will: Complete questionaries about general activity levels and ability to imagine tasks Perform either motor imagery training or watch a documentary Perform maximal and submaximal elbow flexion contractions Researchers will compare the motor imagery training with the control group to see if control of force is improved in the motor imagery training group.

Detailed Description
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Motor imagery training could be beneficial in rehabilitative settings when participants are not physically capable of preforming a motor task or in injury prevention scenarios such as when multiple repetitions of a motor task should not be performed. If the effects of motor imagery training are favourable then they could have meaningful influence on the performance of steady movements in older adults who experience declines in force steadiness with age. Therefore, the first aim of this study will be to determine if one session of motor imagery training will influence corticospinal excitability in older adults and improve force steadiness during isometric elbow flexion contractions with the observed benefit being greater in females. The second aim of this study will be to determine if there is an associated change in oscillations in common synaptic input to motor neurons with a change in force steadiness.

Official Title
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Motor Imagery Training, Force Steadiness and Neural Drive

Conditions
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Healthy

Intervention / Treatment
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* Other: Motor imagery training


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Healthy older adults aged 65 to 90 years old Exclusion Criteria: have had an injury or orthopaedic surgery to the arm or shoulder in the prior 6 months are involved in high levels of upper-body strength training have history of training in fine motor tasks (i.e., musicians) have a history of MIT have systemic diseases and/or nerve damage affecting neuromuscular function have severe cognitive impairment are unable to read or speak English fluently are left hand dominant

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 65 Years
Maximum Age: 90 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Basic Science
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Interventional Model Description: Participants will be randomly assigned to either the motor imagery training group or the control group.
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Motor Imagery Training<br>Participants will do motor imagery training in 5 minute blocks for a total of 20 minutes. | Other: Motor imagery training<br>* Participants imagine themselves through their own eyes performing submaximal elbow flexion contractions.<br>|
| No Intervention: Control<br>Participants will watch a documentary in 5 minute blocks for a total of 20 minutes. | |

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Force steadiness | Measured as the the coefficient in variation of force | Within one session: Change from baseline (immediately before session) to 20 minutes after the session | 
| Corticospinal excitability | Measured as the peak-to-peak amplitude of a motor evoked potential | Within one session: Change from baseline (immediately before session) to 20 minutes after the session | 
| Common synaptic input | Estimated from motor unit discharge times. | Within one session: Change from baseline (immediately before session) to 20 minutes after the session | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Maximal elbow flexion force | The total amount of force produced during a maximal contraction | Within one session: Change from baseline (immediately before session) to 20 minutes after the session | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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Aged, Aged, 80 and over