- ICH GCP
- US Clinical Trials Registry
- Clinical Trial NCT03946709
Mirror Neurons in Older Participants (MNOP)
June 25, 2021 updated by: Matt Stock, University of Central Florida
Mirror Neurons in Older Participants (Project MNOP): Acute Effects of Action Observation on Muscle Strength/Weakness and Neurophysiological Factors in Older Adults
A critical problem facing aging adults is muscle weakness.
Whereas scientists have traditionally attributed the loss of muscle strength with aging to muscle atrophy, emerging evidence suggests that impairments in the neuromuscular system's ability to voluntarily generate force plays a more central role than previously appreciated.
One area that has not yet been investigated includes the role that observing another's actions - thereby activating mirror neurons - plays in muscle force generation.
Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine the acute effects of action observation on muscular strength, voluntary muscle activation, and cortical excitability and inhibition in older adults.
Study Overview
Status
Terminated
Conditions
Intervention / Treatment
Detailed Description
A critical problem facing aging adults is muscle weakness.
Whereas scientists have traditionally attributed the loss of muscle strength with aging to atrophic effects, emerging evidence suggests that impairments in the neuromuscular system's ability to voluntarily generate force plays a more central role than previously appreciated.
One area that has not yet been investigated includes the role that observing another's actions - thereby activating mirror neurons - plays in muscle force generation.
Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine the acute effects of action observation on muscular strength, voluntary activation, and cortical excitability and inhibition in older adults.
Following a thorough familiarization visit, twenty-five men and women ≥60 years of age will complete three action observation sessions in a randomized, counterbalanced manner: 1) observation of very strong hand/wrist contractions, 2) observation of very weak hand/wrist contractions, and 3) a control condition.
Maximal voluntary contractions (MVCs) of the wrist flexors will be performed before and after observation sessions.
Percent voluntary activation will be determined via the interpolated twitch technique.
Single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and electromyographic (EMG) recordings from the flexor carpi radialis and first dorsal interosseous will be used to quantify cortical excitability and inhibition, via motor evoked potential amplitude and silent period duration, respectively.
The hypothesis of this study is that observation of strong muscle contractions will acutely increase muscle strength, and such changes will be facilitated by enhanced corticospinal excitability and decreased inhibition.
In contrast, it is hypothesized that observation of very weak contractions will cause no such efforts or even acute muscle weakness.
Collectively, we propose that manipulation of mirror neurons is a worthwhile strategy for clinicians hoping to induce neuromuscular adaptations in older adults, particularly in settings where movement of a joint is painful or infeasible (e.g., bedrest or immobilization).
Study Type
Interventional
Enrollment (Actual)
14
Phase
- Not Applicable
Contacts and Locations
This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.
Study Locations
-
-
Florida
-
Orlando, Florida, United States, 32826
- UCF Neuromuscular Plasticity Laboratory
-
-
Participation Criteria
Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.
Eligibility Criteria
Ages Eligible for Study
60 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
No
Genders Eligible for Study
All
Description
Inclusion Criteria:
- Healthy men and women ≥60 years of age
Exclusion Criteria:
- Neuromuscular disease (e.g. Parkinson's, MS, ALS)
- Metabolic disease (e.g. diabetes, thyroid disorder, metabolic syndrome)
- Arthritis in the upper limbs (hands, arms, shoulders)
- Trouble using or controlling one's muscles
- History of cancer
- History of stroke
- History of heart attack
- Use of an assistive walking device or other mobility aids
- Physician mandated contraindication to exercise within the last 6 months
- Epilepsy or history of convulsions/seizures
- History of fainting or syncope
- History of head trauma that was diagnosed as concussion or was associated with loss of consciousness
- History of hearing problems or tinnitus
- Cochlear implants
- Implanted metal in the brain, skull, or elsewhere in the body
- Implanted neurotransmitter
- Cardiac pacemaker or intracardiac lines
- Medication infusion device
- Past problems with brain stimulation
- Past problems with MRI
- Use of muscle relaxants or benzodiazepines
- Allergy to rubbing alcohol
- Any other health related illnesses that would prohibit a participant from physical performance testing
- Lack of transportation to and from the laboratory
Study Plan
This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.
How is the study designed?
Design Details
- Primary Purpose: Basic Science
- Allocation: Randomized
- Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
- Masking: None (Open Label)
Arms and Interventions
Participant Group / Arm |
Intervention / Treatment |
---|---|
No Intervention: Control
|
|
Other: Muscle strength condition
|
Strength, voluntary activation, and cortical responses to three conditions will be measured: 1) action observation of very strong, forceful contractions of the hand and wrist flexors 2) action observation of very weak, feeble contractions of the hand and wrist flexors 3) no action observation.
Experimental conditions will be randomized and counterbalanced.
|
Other: Muscle weakness condition
|
Strength, voluntary activation, and cortical responses to three conditions will be measured: 1) action observation of very strong, forceful contractions of the hand and wrist flexors 2) action observation of very weak, feeble contractions of the hand and wrist flexors 3) no action observation.
Experimental conditions will be randomized and counterbalanced.
|
What is the study measuring?
Primary Outcome Measures
Outcome Measure |
Measure Description |
Time Frame |
---|---|---|
Muscle Strength
Time Frame: 5 minutes
|
Isometric muscle strength of the non-dominant hand and wrist flexors will be assessed during maximal voluntary contractions (MVCs).
|
5 minutes
|
Secondary Outcome Measures
Outcome Measure |
Measure Description |
Time Frame |
---|---|---|
Voluntary Activation
Time Frame: 5 minutes
|
Percent voluntary activation will be quantified during the MVCs to determine each participant's ability to maximally activate their wrist flexor muscles voluntarily.
|
5 minutes
|
Corticospinal excitability
Time Frame: 5 minutes
|
Transcranial magnetic stimulation will be used to quantify corticospinal excitability throughout the study.
|
5 minutes
|
Collaborators and Investigators
This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.
Sponsor
Investigators
- Principal Investigator: Matt S. Stock, Ph.D., University of Central Florida
Publications and helpful links
The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.
Helpful Links
Study record dates
These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.
Study Major Dates
Study Start (Actual)
December 20, 2018
Primary Completion (Actual)
March 1, 2020
Study Completion (Actual)
March 1, 2020
Study Registration Dates
First Submitted
May 8, 2019
First Submitted That Met QC Criteria
May 9, 2019
First Posted (Actual)
May 13, 2019
Study Record Updates
Last Update Posted (Actual)
June 28, 2021
Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria
June 25, 2021
Last Verified
June 1, 2021
More Information
Terms related to this study
Additional Relevant MeSH Terms
Other Study ID Numbers
- SBE-18-14657
Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)
Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?
No
Drug and device information, study documents
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product
No
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product
No
This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.
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