Clinical trial NCT03750903: Effect of Aging on Cortical Excitability and Motor Learning
Official title: Effects of Aging on Cortical Excitability During Motor Learning
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Aging
Keywords: aging
Lead sponsor: VA Office of Research and Development
Sponsor class: FED
First posted: 2018-11-23
Enrollment: 30
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 50
Maximum age (years): 85
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Intervention model description: Two group parallel design
Primary purpose: BASIC_SCIENCE

Brief summary: The objective of the current proposal is to identify 1) how aging-related changes in GABAergic cortical inhibition affect motor performance, and 2) how aerobic exercise may improve inhibitory function and facilitate motor learning.

Detailed description: The current proposal seeks quantify neural inhibition using magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in older Veterans to identify how each measures contributes to aging-related changes in motor performance. Currently, over 56% (11.8 million) of Veterans are over age 60. Recent research has shown that aging is associated with decreased cortical inhibition and impaired hand motor function. However, this loss of inhibition is not an inescapable consequence of aging. The investigators' previous work that healthy older adults who engage in regular physical activity show increased cortical inhibition and improved dexterity as compared to their sedentary age cohort. This indicates that aerobic training may reverse aging related changes in cortical inhibition and alteration of tonic levels of cortical excitability can have a powerful impact on motor performance in the aging brain. In the current proposal, the investigators will enroll older adults to assess how different measurements (TMS and MRS) of the dominant inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain - GABA differ in relation to motor control. During the MRS scan, participants will perform a motor learning task to assess change in GABA level throughout the acquisition session. These data will be compared with measures of cortical inhibition using TMS to quantify neurotransmitter receptor activity with respect to aging-related changes in motor performance. The investigators will also be comparing the effects of an aerobic exercise intervention as compared to a contact matched stretching control. The investigators believe this project is the first inquiry of its kind and will have an important impact in the understanding of aging-related neurophysiological changes in the brain and how it can remediate associated behavioral declines.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* living persons aged 50-85

Exclusion Criteria:

* unmanaged diabetes
* participants completing vigorous exercise per week
* participants whose profession requires vigorous physical labor
* contraindication to magnetic resonance imaging

Primary outcomes:
measure: Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
timeFrame: Baseline and12 weeks
Secondary outcomes:
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Decatur
country: United States
facility: Atlanta VA Medical and Rehab Center, Decatur, GA
state: Washington
Study officials:
affiliation: Atlanta VA Medical and Rehab Center, Decatur, GA
name: Joe R. Nocera, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: