Movement-Sequence Observation in Healthy Adults: Motor and Cognitive Effects on Effector-Independent Performance

Studies examining the effects of action observation (AO) on ipsilateral versus contralateral upper limb (UL) motor performance have reported mixed findings. Furthermore, the extent to which the cognitive component of sequence observation contributes to AO-related improvements in motor sequence execution remains unclear. The investigators aimed to determine whether observing unilateral UL reaching movement (RM) sequences affects UL RM performance in an effector-dependent or effector-independent manner in healthy adults and to determine the contribution of the cognitive aspect, particularly sequence memory, to the motor performance. Sixty participants randomly participated in a single-session intervention of (1) observing RM sequences with the non-dominant left UL (AO group); or (2) observing identical light switches sequences (SO group); or (3) observing nature films (Nature Observation (NO) group). Sequential RMs of both the left and right ULs (ipsilateral and contralateral to the observed movements, respectively) toward the light switches were tested before and immediately after the intervention, and retested after 24 h.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Healthy
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Action observation (AO); Behavioral: Sequence observation (SO); Behavioral: Nature Observation (NO)

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 60
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Israel
  • Ariel, Israel, 40700
    • Brain and Motor Behavior Laboratory based at Ariel University, Israel

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

right-hand dominance and self-reported as healthy

Exclusion Criteria:

having musculoskeletal or neurological deficits interfering with task performance (proper UL and LL reaching performance)

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

3

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Action Observation (AO); Observing a video recording of a model performing the task	Behavioral: Action observation (AO); Participants observed reaching movement sequence performed by the left upper limb toward light switches (10 blocks of video clips, each containing 5 sequences (totaling 300 reaching movements), with a 10 second rest period between blocks).
Active Comparator: Sequence Observation (SO); Observing a video of the sequence being illuminated on the device without observing any human movements	Behavioral: Sequence observation (SO); Participants observed a video clip of switches illuminating in the same sequence, from the same egocentric perspective, but without any human movements. The illuminating switches were activated with the same timing and rest periods as those in the AO group
Sham Comparator: Neutral Observation (NO); Observing a neutral video of nature veiws without any human movement	Behavioral: Nature Observation (NO); Participants observed a neutral movie that consisted of nature views without any human or animal movements. These videos included 10-second blank screen intervals corresponding to the rest periods in the AO and SO video clips

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in response time (s) from baseline to post-test	Average time of movements, measured from the time the switch lights up until it is pressed	baseline - before the training session, post-test - immediately after the training session
Change in response time (s) from post-test to follow up	Average time of movements, measured from the time the switch lights up until it is pressed	post-test - immediately after the training session, follow up - 24 hours after the training session
Change in response time (s) from baseline to follow up	Average time of movements, measured from the time the switch lights up until it is pressed	baseline - before the training session, follow up - 24 hours after the training session

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in failure (%) from post-test to follow up	Percentage of the reaching movements in which the participant failed to reach the switch in the allotted time (1 sec) or pressed the wrong buzzer.	post-test - immediately after the training session, follow up - 24 hours after the training session
Change in failure (%) from base line to follow up	Percentage of the reaching movements in which the participant failed to reach the switch in the allotted time (1 sec) or pressed the wrong buzzer.	baseline - before the training session, follow up - 24 hours after the training session
Change in failure (%) from baseline to post-test	Percentage of the reaching movements in which the participant failed to reach the switch in the allotted time (1 sec) or pressed the wrong buzzer	baseline - before the training session, post-test - immediately after the training session

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Ariel University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): March 9, 2024
• Primary Completion (Actual): July 26, 2024
• Study Completion (Actual): March 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: April 9, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 9, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): April 15, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 23, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 19, 2026
• Last Verified: April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Cognition; Action observation; Motor performance; Contralateral transfer
• Other Study ID Numbers: AU-HEA-SFT-20230511

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO
• IPD Plan Description: The datasets (Study Protocol, Statistical Analysis Plan, Informed Consent Form, Analytic Code generated during and/or analyzed during the current study) will be available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No