Clinical trial NCT05084690: Mirror Illusion Training and Cross-education
Official title: Mirror Illusion Training to Improve Contralateral Arm Strength
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: UNKNOWN
Phase: NA
Conditions: Exercise Therapy
Weight Lifting
Keywords: Strength training
Mirror visual feedback
Lead sponsor: Texas Christian University
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2021-10-20
Enrollment: 20
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Maximum age (years): 35
Standard ages: ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Intervention model description: Randomized, two arm parallel experimental and control groups
Primary purpose: BASIC_SCIENCE

Brief summary: Cross-education describes the transfer of motor performance to the opposite limb following unilateral training and is primarily explained by adaptations within the brain. The mirror training hypothesis suggests that illusionary mirror visual feedback may augment the cross-education of strength to the untrained, contralateral limb. The purpose of this project is to examine how the use of illusionary mirror visual feedback shapes the neuromuscular adaptations that occur for both limbs during unilateral (single-limb) strength training. Our hypothesis is that mirror training will augment the level of cross-education for the untrained arm.

Detailed description: Recent empirical evidence shows a heightened level of strength transfer with the use of illusionary mirror visual feedback, but this was shown for the small muscles of the wrist during isokinetic training. It is unknown if larger, multi-joint muscles respond favorably to mirror training in practical settings. A randomized controlled study design will allocate approximately 20 participants into two groups. One group will perform unilateral strength training with illusionary mirror visual feedback (Mirror) and the other will perform the same unilateral strength training but without a mirror (No-Mirror). The intervention will involve four weeks of unilateral strength training performed twice weekly at high intensities (\>80%1RM).

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* right-hand dominance
* no previous strength training of upper body last 3 months
* no injuries or recent surgeries of the upper limbs
* willingness to adhere to the strength training requirements of the study

Exclusion Criteria:

* current use of hormone replacement therapy
* pregnancy/breastfeeding

Primary outcomes:
measure: Change in dynamic muscle strength for the trained and untrained arm
timeFrame: Baseline (week 0) post-training (week 5)
measure: Change in isometric muscle strength for the trained and untrained arm
timeFrame: Baseline (week 0) post-training (week 5)
measure: Change in lean mass for the trained and untrained arm
timeFrame: Baseline (week 0), mid-training (week 2), post-training (week 5)
measure: Change in muscle thickness for the trained and untrained arm
timeFrame: Baseline (week 0), mid-training (week 2), post-training (week 5)
measure: Change in muscle activation for the trained and untrained arm
timeFrame: Baseline (week 0) post-training (week 5)
Secondary outcomes:
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Fort Worth
country: United States
facility: TCU Neuromuscular Physiology Laboratory
state: Texas
city: Fort Worth
country: United States
facility: TCU RIC
state: Texas
Study officials:
affiliation: Texas Christian University
name: Joshua C Carr
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: