Clinical trial NCT05947279: Examining Lateralized Aspects of Motor Control Using Non-invasive Neural Stimulation
Official title: Examining Lateralized Aspects of Motor Control Using Non-invasive Neural Stimulation
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: RECRUITING
Phase: NA
Conditions: Motor Adaptation and Generalization
Posterior Parietal Cortex
Cerebellum
Lead sponsor: Virginia Commonwealth University
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2023-07-17
Enrollment: 60
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Maximum age (years): 40
Standard ages: ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: SINGLE_GROUP
Intervention model description: The study will have three groups: (15 people per group) 1) posterior parietal cortex group, which will receive the stimulation to their left posterior parietal cortex, 2) cerebellum group, which will receive stimulation to their right cerebellum, and 3) sham group, which will have the electrode cap placed on their head but receive no stimulation. By comparing motor adaptation reaching performance between these three groups, the investigators can examine how stimulation to each specific area of the brain modulates different aspects of motor adaptation.
Primary purpose: OTHER

Brief summary: Motor adaptation and generalization are believed to occur via the integration of various forms of sensory feedback for a congruent representation of the body's position in space along with estimation of inertial properties of the limb segments for accurate specification of movement. Thus, motor adaptation is often studied within curated environments incorporating a "mis-match" between different sensory systems (i.e. a visual field shift via prism googles or a visuomotor rotation via virtual reality environment) and observing how motor plans change based on this mis-match. However, these adaptations are environment-specific and show little generalization outside of their restricted experimental setup. There remains a need for motor adaptation research that demonstrates motor learning that generalizes to other environments and movement types. This work could then inform physical and occupational therapy neurorehabilitation interventions targeted at addressing motor deficits.

Detailed description: Voluntary movement and sensory perception are fundamental aspects of the human experience. Senses such as visual and proprioceptive feedback inform movement by continuously providing the central nervous system with information on limb location, movement error, and task performance. However, the specific mechanisms behind how different forms of sensory information are used to adapt and generalize movement remain poorly understood.

Motor adaptation, or the modification of movement based on error feedback (Martin et al., 1996), is often elicited during rehabilitation but must be generalized to functional performance, such as activities of daily living, in order to successfully rehabilitate motor deficits following stroke. Motor adaptation and generalization are believed to occur via the integration of various forms of sensory feedback for a congruent representation of the body's position in space along with estimation of inertial properties of the limb segments for accurate specification of movement. Thus, motor adaptation is often studied within curated environments incorporating a "mis-match" between different sensory systems (i.e. a visual field shift via prism googles or a visuomotor rotation via virtual reality environment) and observing how motor plans change based on this mis-match. However, these adaptations are environment-specific and show little generalization outside of their restricted experimental setup. There remains a need for motor adaptation research that demonstrates motor learning that generalizes to other environments and movement types. This work could then inform physical and occupational therapy neurorehabilitation interventions targeted at addressing motor deficits.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Right-handed as determined by the short-form Edinburgh Handedness Inventory
* Between the ages of 18 and 40

Exclusion Criteria:

* Mixed- or left-handed as determined by the short-form Edinburgh Handedness Inventory
* Self-reported history of any of the following:

Seizure and/or diagnosis of epilepsy Fainting spells Concussion with loss of consciousness Ringing in the ears (tinnitus) Cochlear implants Migraines Diagnosed psychological or neurological condition Metal in the scalp

* Any previous adverse reaction to a brain stimulation technique
* Any previous adverse reaction to 3D virtual reality environments (i.e. 'cybersickness')
* Possibility of being currently pregnant (for females only)
* Current open head wound or skin condition of the scalp
* Current implanted device(s) (i.e. cardiac pacemaker)

Primary outcomes:
measure: Initial direction error, or difference between participant's fingertip direction
timeFrame: Completion of the study visit, approx 20 minutes
measure: Initial direction error variance
timeFrame: Completion of the study visit, approx 20 minutes
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Final position error
timeFrame: Completion of the study visit, approx 20 min
measure: Final position error variance across multiple trials.
timeFrame: Completion of the study visit, approx 20 min
measure: Deviation from linearity
timeFrame: Completion of the study visit, approx 20 min
measure: Peak tangential velocity
timeFrame: Completion of the study visit, approx 20 min
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Richmond
country: United States
facility: Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center
state: Virginia
Study officials:
References: