Neurophysiological and Functional Mechanisms of Motor Control and Learning

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Clinical Trial

Official title:

Neurophysiological and Functional Mechanisms of Motor Control and Learning

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT03190590
• Other study ID #: 17-00328
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: March 20, 2018
• Est. completion date: July 18, 2018

Study information

• Verified date: April 2024
• Source: NYU Langone Health
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

Noninvasive stimulation of the central nervous system, including transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), has been increasingly used in the investigation of cortical plasticity. The purpose of our study is to understand mechanistically-at the neurophysiological and systems levels-how the brain learns new motor skills. We propose to study the acquisition, consolidation, and retention of motor skill learning in healthy subjects. At the behavioral level, we will use movement kinematics to quantify and characterize movement, which allow us to infer functional strategies used by the brain to reduce movement errors. At a neurophysiological level, we will use TMS to document changes in cortical circuitry, which will allow us to infer neuroplastic changes possibly subserving these strategies. At a systems level, we will enhance motor system excitability using tDCS, which will enable us to infer the contribution of the stimulated area to the motor system's ability to learn new skills.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 30
• Est. completion date: July 18, 2018
• Est. primary completion date: July 18, 2018
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: All
• Age group: 18 Years and older

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Right-handed dominance

• Ability to give informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• active and/or chronic neurological, psychiatric (including depression), or medical conditions

• psychoactive medication use

• active drug/alcohol dependence or abuse history

• homelessness or other social situation that would preclude consistent visits

• history of head injury (including neurosurgery)

• history of seizure

• inability to comprehend or participate in the procedures involved

• metal in the head (besides in mouth), such as implanted electrodes or devices, shrapnel, surgical clips, or fragments from welding/metalwork

• implanted devices (such as cardiac pacemakers, medical pumps, or intracardiac lines) in the thorax

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation

Intervention

Procedure:
• tDCS-NeuroConn.
tDCS is delivered noninvasively via electrodes applied to the surface of the head, and a mild electrical current is given during motor training.
• TMS - Magstim.
TMS is delivered noninvasively via a hand-held coil applied to the surface of the head, and a magnetic pulse probes cortical circuitry [this is not repetitive TMS and so does NOT modulate brain excitability
• Sham tDCS
delivered by briefly turning on and off the stimulator at the beginning of training, which mimics the sensation of true stimulation.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
United States	New York University School of Medicine	New York	New York

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
NYU Langone Health

Country where clinical trial is conducted

United States, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Motor skill gain from day 1 to day 5	defined as an improvement in performance accuracy at fixed movement speeds (see 5.2 for description of task and outcome). The delta in accuracy between day 1 and day 5 equates to motor skill learning.	5 Days