Examining Lateralized Aspects of Motor Control Using Non-invasive Neural Stimulation

Conditions

• Cerebellum
• Motor Adaptation and Generalization
• Posterior Parietal Cortex

Eligibility Criteria

Sex

ALL

Age

18 Years - 40 Years

Healthy Volunteers

Accepted

Interventions

• Comparing motor adaptation reaching performance — BEHAVIORAL
  By comparing motor adaptation reaching performance between these three groups, the investigators can examine how stimulation to each specific area of the brain modulates different aspects of motor adaptation

Study Details

Motor adaptation and generalization are believed to occur via the integration of various forms of sensory feedback for a congruent representation of the body's position in space along with estimation of inertial properties of the limb segments for accurate specification of movement. Thus, motor adaptation is often studied within curated environments incorporating a "mis-match" between different sensory systems (i.e. a visual field shift via prism googles or a visuomotor rotation via virtual reality environment) and observing how motor plans change based on this mis-match. However, these adaptations are environment-specific and show little generalization outside of their restricted experimental setup. There remains a need for motor adaptation research that demonstrates motor learning that generalizes to other environments and movement types. This work could then inform physical and occupational therapy neurorehabilitation interventions targeted at addressing motor deficits.

Key Dates

Start date

Apr 3, 2024

Status verified

Mar 2026

Primary completion

Aug 15, 2026

Completion

Aug 15, 2026

Study Design

Enrollment

60 participants (estimated)

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Intervention model

SINGLE_GROUP

Primary purpose

OTHER

Arms

• Experimental: Posterior parietal cortex group
  Posterior parietal cortex group, which will receive the stimulation to their left posterior parietal cortex
• Experimental: Cerebellum group
  Cerebellum group, which will receive stimulation to their right cerebellum,
• Sham Comparator: Sham group
  Sham group, which will have the electrode cap placed on their head but receive no stimulation

Primary Outcome Measure

Initial direction error, or difference between participant's fingertip direction [ Time Frame: Completion of the study visit, approx 20 minutes ]

Central Contacts

• Brooke Dexheimer, PhD, OTD, OTR/L
  563-547-0125
  [email protected]

Locations (1)

Find similar trials in Richmond, VA

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