Neurophysiological and Functional Mechanisms of Motor Control and Learning

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.

Study Overview

• Status: Enrolling by invitation
• Conditions: Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation
• Intervention / Treatment: Device: tDCS-NeuroConn.; Device: TMS - Magstim.; Device: Sham tDCS

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 30
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • New York
    • New York, New York, United States, 10016
      • New York University School of Medicine

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

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

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Diagnostic
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

3

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Transcranial direct current stimulator (tDCS); tDCS is delivered noninvasively via electrodes applied to the surface of the head, and a mild electrical current is given during motor training.	Device: 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.
Active Comparator: Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS); 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.]	Device: 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
Placebo Comparator: Sham-tDCS; delivered by briefly turning on and off the stimulator at the beginning of training, which mimics the sensation of true stimulation.	Device: Sham tDCS; delivered by briefly turning on and off the stimulator at the beginning of training, which mimics the sensation of true stimulation.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
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

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: NYU Langone Health
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Heidi Schambra-Griesemer, MD, NYU Langone Health

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): March 20, 2018
• Primary Completion (Estimated): March 20, 2024
• Study Completion (Estimated): March 20, 2024

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: June 14, 2017
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 14, 2017
• First Posted (Actual): June 19, 2017

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): June 28, 2023
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 26, 2023
• Last Verified: June 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: transcranial magnetic stimulation
• Other Study ID Numbers: 17-00328

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: Yes
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: Yes