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OPTIMAL Motor Learning in Table Tennis: A fNIRS Study

27 octobre 2026 mis à jour par: Hui-Ting Shih, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University

Does the OPTIMAL Theory Enhance Motor Learning and Cognitive and Sensorimotor Area Cortical Activation? A Theoretical Mechanism Validation in Young, Older Adults, and Cognitively Impaired Older Adults Novice Table Tennis Players

This study investigates how OPTIMAL theory influences table tennis backhand learning in young, healthy older, and mild cognitively impaired older adults. Meanwhile, we investigate the neural mechanisms of motor skill acquisition across different ages. This study utilizes functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to monitor brain activity. Beyond immediate performance, the research focuses on Retention (sustained skill over time) and Transfer (application to novel tasks) as critical indicators of true motor learning. To ensure objective results, a double-blind design is employed, where both participants and data analysts remain blinded to group assignments during behavioral and fNIRS data processing to minimize bias.

Aperçu de l'étude

Type d'étude

Interventionnel

Inscription (Estimé)

90

Phase

  • N'est pas applicable

Contacts et emplacements

Cette section fournit les coordonnées de ceux qui mènent l'étude et des informations sur le lieu où cette étude est menée.

Coordonnées de l'étude

Lieux d'étude

      • Taipei, Taïwan
        • National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University
        • Contact:

Critères de participation

Les chercheurs recherchent des personnes qui correspondent à une certaine description, appelée critères d'éligibilité. Certains exemples de ces critères sont l'état de santé général d'une personne ou des traitements antérieurs.

Critère d'éligibilité

Âges éligibles pour étudier

18 ans à 80 ans (Adulte, Adulte plus âgé)

Accepte les volontaires sains

Oui

Sexes éligibles pour l'étude

Tout

La description

Healthy young adults are aged between 18 and 30 years, while healthy older adults and older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) are aged between 65 and 80 years. Regarding cognitive criteria, healthy young adults and healthy older adults must score 24 or higher on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Older adults with MCI must further meet the following diagnostic criteria for MCI:

  1. Subjective cognitive decline: The participants themselves or their family members/primary caregivers report a decline in memory or cognitive function.
  2. Objective cognitive impairment: The education-adjusted score on the Taiwanese version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA-T) is between 20 and 23. One point is added to the total MoCA-T score for individuals with less than 12 years of education. Considering the heterogeneity in education levels among Taiwan's older generation, if a participant has 6 or fewer years of education (elementary school or below) or is illiterate, the Chinese version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Basic (MoCA-B) will be administered as a supplement. This is to reduce false-positive interference on the visuospatial and executive function subtests caused by a low educational level.
  3. Preserved activities of daily living: The score on the Compensatory Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL-C) scale ranges from 1.34 to 3.06, indicating that the participant possesses the ability to live independently and has not reached the level of dementia.

In addition to the age and cognitive requirements, participants across all three groups must meet the following inclusion criteria:

  1. Right-handed, with an Edinburgh Handedness Inventory (EHI) score > 40;
  2. Table tennis beginners who have never received professional table tennis instruction;
  3. Played table tennis less than once a month in the past year;
  4. Normal hearing and normal or corrected-to-normal vision.

Exclusion criteria include:

  1. Over 3 years of experience in other racket sports;
  2. A history of neurological or psychiatric disorders;
  3. Any musculoskeletal system diseases that might interfere with the experiment;
  4. Unstable cardiopulmonary function rendering them unsuitable for moderate-intensity aerobic exercise;
  5. Taking medications that affect the central nervous system or blood oxygen signals, such as potent sedative-hypnotics, antiepileptic drugs, or antipsychotic medications.

Plan d'étude

Cette section fournit des détails sur le plan d'étude, y compris la façon dont l'étude est conçue et ce que l'étude mesure.

Comment l'étude est-elle conçue ?

Détails de conception

  • Objectif principal: Science basique
  • Répartition: Randomisé
  • Modèle interventionnel: Affectation parallèle
  • Masquage: Double

Armes et Interventions

Groupe de participants / Bras
Intervention / Traitement
Expérimental: Young Adults - OPTIMAL

OPTIMAL theory-based instruction

Dose: 15 blocks of practice, with each block consisting of 30 table tennis backhand strokes (Total: 450 trials).

Description: The intervention integrates three components: (1) Autonomy Support (AS): Participants choose the color of the table tennis balls. (2) Enhanced Expectancy (EE): A visual illusion is used where the target is surrounded by smaller circles, making the target appear larger to boost confidence. (3) External Focus (EF): Instructions direct attention toward the target rather than limb movements.

Comparateur actif: Young Adults - Control

Conventional instruction

Dose: Same as Experimental group (15 blocks x 30 trials; Total: 450 trials).

Description: (1) No choice is provided (Yoked control). (2) A visual illusion is used where the target is surrounded by larger circles, making the target appear smaller. (3) Instructions focus on body mechanics, such as elbow position and swing path (Internal Focus).

Expérimental: Older Adults - OPTIMAL

OPTIMAL theory-based instruction

Dose: 15 blocks of practice, with each block consisting of 30 table tennis backhand strokes (Total: 450 trials).

Description: The intervention integrates three components: (1) Autonomy Support (AS): Participants choose the color of the table tennis balls. (2) Enhanced Expectancy (EE): A visual illusion is used where the target is surrounded by smaller circles, making the target appear larger to boost confidence. (3) External Focus (EF): Instructions direct attention toward the target rather than limb movements.

Comparateur actif: Older Adults - Control

Conventional instruction

Dose: Same as Experimental group (15 blocks x 30 trials; Total: 450 trials).

Description: (1) No choice is provided (Yoked control). (2) A visual illusion is used where the target is surrounded by larger circles, making the target appear smaller. (3) Instructions focus on body mechanics, such as elbow position and swing path (Internal Focus).

Expérimental: MCI Older Adults - OPTIMAL

OPTIMAL theory-based instruction

Dose: 15 blocks of practice, with each block consisting of 30 table tennis backhand strokes (Total: 450 trials).

Description: The intervention integrates three components: (1) Autonomy Support (AS): Participants choose the color of the table tennis balls. (2) Enhanced Expectancy (EE): A visual illusion is used where the target is surrounded by smaller circles, making the target appear larger to boost confidence. (3) External Focus (EF): Instructions direct attention toward the target rather than limb movements.

Comparateur actif: MCI Older Adults - Control

Conventional instruction

Dose: Same as Experimental group (15 blocks x 30 trials; Total: 450 trials).

Description: (1) No choice is provided (Yoked control). (2) A visual illusion is used where the target is surrounded by larger circles, making the target appear smaller. (3) Instructions focus on body mechanics, such as elbow position and swing path (Internal Focus).

Que mesure l'étude ?

Principaux critères de jugement

Mesure des résultats
Description de la mesure
Délai
Motor Performance (Accuracy Score)
Délai: Day 1 Pre-test: before practice (3 blocks) Acquisition: during practice (15 blocks) Post-test: immediately after practice (3 blocks) Day 2 Retention test: at least 24 hours after Day 1 (3 blocks) Transfer test: at least 24 hours after Day 1 (3 blocks)

Accuracy is measured with a target-centered scoring system on a 0-7 scale per ball; higher scores indicate better accuracy.

7 pts: Hit target (10 cm diameter).

6 pts: Hit zone (20 cm).

5 pts: Hit zone (30 cm).

4 pts: Hit zone (40 cm).

3 pts: Hit zone (50 cm).

2 pts: Hit opposite table surface but missed target zones.

1 pt: Ball was hit but missed the opposite table.

0 pts: Failed to hit the ball.

The performance is presented by blocks. Each block contains 30 balls. The average score of each block is calculated.

Day 1 Pre-test: before practice (3 blocks) Acquisition: during practice (15 blocks) Post-test: immediately after practice (3 blocks) Day 2 Retention test: at least 24 hours after Day 1 (3 blocks) Transfer test: at least 24 hours after Day 1 (3 blocks)

Mesures de résultats secondaires

Mesure des résultats
Description de la mesure
Délai
Prefrontal Cortex (DLPFC) Activation
Délai: Day 1 Pre-test: before practice (3 blocks) Acquisition: during practice (15 blocks) Post-test: immediately after practice (3 blocks) Day 2 Retention test: at least 24 hours after Day 1 (3 blocks) Transfer test: at least 24 hours after Day 1 (3 blocks)

Change in oxygenated hemoglobin (HbO) concentration (μM) in the bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), measured using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) during table tennis backhand task blocks.

Day 1 Pre-test: before practice (3 blocks) Acquisition: during practice (15 blocks) Post-test: immediately after practice (3 blocks) Day 2 Retention test: at least 24 hours after Day 1 (3 blocks) Transfer test: at least 24 hours after Day 1 (3 blocks)
Premotor Cortex (PMC) Activation
Délai: Day 1 Pre-test: before practice (3 blocks) Acquisition: during practice (15 blocks) Post-test: immediately after practice (3 blocks) Day 2 Retention test: at least 24 hours after Day 1 (3 blocks) Transfer test: at least 24 hours after Day 1 (3 blocks)

Change in oxygenated hemoglobin (HbO) concentration (μM) in the bilateral premotor cortex (PMC), measured using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) during table tennis backhand task blocks.

Day 1 Pre-test: before practice (3 blocks) Acquisition: during practice (15 blocks) Post-test: immediately after practice (3 blocks) Day 2 Retention test: at least 24 hours after Day 1 (3 blocks) Transfer test: at least 24 hours after Day 1 (3 blocks)
Supplementary Motor Area (SMA) Activation
Délai: Day 1 Pre-test: before practice (3 blocks) Acquisition: during practice (15 blocks) Post-test: immediately after practice (3 blocks) Day 2 Retention test: at least 24 hours after Day 1 (3 blocks) Transfer test: at least 24 hours after Day 1 (3 blocks)

Change in oxygenated hemoglobin (HbO) concentration (μM) in the supplementary motor area (SMA), measured using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) during table tennis backhand task blocks.

Day 1 Pre-test: before practice (3 blocks) Acquisition: during practice (15 blocks) Post-test: immediately after practice (3 blocks) Day 2 Retention test: at least 24 hours after Day 1 (3 blocks) Transfer test: at least 24 hours after Day 1 (3 blocks)
Sensorimotor Cortex (SMC) Activation
Délai: Day 1 Pre-test: before practice (3 blocks) Acquisition: during practice (15 blocks) Post-test: immediately after practice (3 blocks) Day 2 Retention test: at least 24 hours after Day 1 (3 blocks) Transfer test: at least 24 hours after Day 1 (3 blocks)

Change in oxygenated hemoglobin (HbO) concentration (μM) in the sensorimotor cortex (SMC), measured using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) during table tennis backhand task blocks.

Day 1 Pre-test: before practice (3 blocks) Acquisition: during practice (15 blocks) Post-test: immediately after practice (3 blocks) Day 2 Retention test: at least 24 hours after Day 1 (3 blocks) Transfer test: at least 24 hours after Day 1 (3 blocks)
Self-Efficacy (General Self-Efficacy Scale, GSES)
Délai: Day 1 Immediately after Pre-test

Self-efficacy is measured with the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES), a 10-item self-report scale.

Each item is rated from 1 (not at all true) to 4 (exactly true), giving a total score of 10 to 40; higher scores indicate higher self-efficacy.

Day 1 Immediately after Pre-test

Autres mesures de résultats

Mesure des résultats
Description de la mesure
Délai
Manipulation Check
Délai: Day 1 After Post-test Day 2 After Transfer test

A questionnaire verifying whether participants perceived the assigned experimental manipulations (autonomy support, enhanced expectancies, and attentional focus). It consists of 19 items rated mainly on 0-10 scales (items 10-11 on a 0-100% scale); higher scores indicate stronger agreement or greater perception of the corresponding construct.

Day 1 After Post-test Day 2 After Transfer test

Collaborateurs et enquêteurs

C'est ici que vous trouverez les personnes et les organisations impliquées dans cette étude.

Dates d'enregistrement des études

Ces dates suivent la progression des dossiers d'étude et des soumissions de résultats sommaires à ClinicalTrials.gov. Les dossiers d'étude et les résultats rapportés sont examinés par la Bibliothèque nationale de médecine (NLM) pour s'assurer qu'ils répondent à des normes de contrôle de qualité spécifiques avant d'être publiés sur le site Web public.

Dates principales de l'étude

Début de l'étude (Estimé)

1 novembre 2026

Achèvement primaire (Estimé)

31 août 2028

Achèvement de l'étude (Estimé)

31 octobre 2028

Dates d'inscription aux études

Première soumission

8 octobre 2026

Première soumission répondant aux critères de contrôle qualité

27 octobre 2026

Première publication (Réel)

3 novembre 2026

Mises à jour des dossiers d'étude

Dernière mise à jour publiée (Réel)

3 novembre 2026

Dernière mise à jour soumise répondant aux critères de contrôle qualité

27 octobre 2026

Dernière vérification

1 octobre 2026

Plus d'information

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