Interaction of Right and Left Brain Hemispheres in Learning Precision Hand Movements

Completed

Conditions studied: Interhemispheric Inhibition

In brief

This study will examine how the two sides of the brain interact when learning precision hand movements. Both sides of the brain are active when a person performs an accurate hand movement. This study will look at the extent to which the two brain hemispheres interact when learning accurate hand movements. Healthy, right-handed normal volunteers 18 - 40 years of age may be eligible for this study. Candidates are screened with a clinical and neurological examination. Participants are randomly assigned to one of two groups - precision or non-precision hand movements. All participants undergo the following procedures: * Force precision task: Subjects are press a small device between the thumb and index finger. The force produced with the fingertips is translated onto a computer screen. Subjects track a white line passing on the screen with their fingertips. * Paired-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS): A wire coil is held to the subject's scalp. A brief electrical current is passed through the coil, creating a magnetic pulse that stimulates the brain. During the stimulation, the subject may be asked to tense certain muscles slightly or perform other simple actions. The stimulation may cause a twitch in muscles of the face, arm, or leg, and the subject may hear a click and feel a pulling sensation on the skin under the coil. The effect of paired-pulse TMS on the muscles is detected with electrodes taped to the skin on the arms or legs. * Surface electromyography (EMG): This test measures the electrical activity of muscles. For this test, electrodes are filled with a gel and taped to the skin over the muscle to be tested. The study involves six sessions. Sessions 1-5 are on consecutive days; session 6 is one week after session 5. * Session 1: Familiarization with the motor task and baseline measurements, including error rate, EMG, and paired-pulse TMS * Session 2: Training in the motor task and repeat measurements as in session 1 * Session 3: Training and measurements as in session 2 * Session 4: Training and measurements as in session 2 * Session 5: Training and measurements as in session 2 * Session 6: Measurements only

Key facts

Study ID

NCT00295568

Run by

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)

People needed

46

Starts

2006-02-17

Expected to finish

2009-01-12

Last updated by the study team

2017-07-02

Who can join

Age: 18 and older, up to 40. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: accepted.

You may not qualify if…

• Healthy volunteers will not be eligible for the study if they:
• are unable to perform the tasks;
• are left-handed;
• have a history of neurological and psychiatric illness, or of alcohol or drug abuse or severe language disturbances or serious cognitive deficits;
• have uncontrolled medical problems, such as heart, lung or kidney disease, epilepsy or diabetes mellitus, have severe tactile deficits (defined by Frey filaments exerting a force of 4 N to the distal pad of the finger);
• have a cardiac pacemaker, intracardiac lines, implanted medication pumps, neural stimulators, metal in the cranium, with the exception of dental braces.

Where it is running

• National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, 9000 Rockville Pike — Bethesda, Maryland, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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