Cortical Excitability and Typing Performance After Action Observation and Motor Execution

University of Sharjah

Status: Not yet enrolling

Conditions: Young Adults

Treatments: Behavioral: Action Observation of Typing Task; Behavioral: Motor Execution Typing Task

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT07009561

TMStyping

Details and patient eligibility

About

Goal:

This study will aim to investigate the effects of different motor stimulation strategies-motor execution (ME) and action observation (AO)-on cortical excitability and typing performance in healthy individuals.

Recruitment:

A total of 60 healthy university students will be recruited and randomly assigned into three groups:

Motor Execution group (n=20) Action Observation group (n=20) Control group (n=20)

Evaluation Tools:

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) using DEYMED DuoMAG XT will be used to measure Resting Motor Threshold (RMT), Motor Evoked Potential (MEP) Amplitude, and MEP Latency of the First Dorsal Interosseous (FDI) muscle.

Online Typing Test will be used to assess typing speed (words per minute) and accuracy (percentage of correct characters).

Intervention:

The ME group will perform a 3-minute typing task. The AO group will observe a 3-minute first-person video of typing. The Control group will not receive any intervention between assessments.

All participants will undergo TMS and typing assessments twice, once before and once after the intervention.

Full description

This study will be designed as a randomized controlled trial to compare the effects of motor execution (ME) and action observation (AO) on cortical excitability and fine motor performance, using typing as the target motor task.

A total of 60 healthy university students will be recruited from the University of Sharjah through convenience sampling. Participants will be screened based on inclusion and exclusion criteria and will provide informed consent prior to enrollment. Eligible participants will then be randomly assigned into three groups (ME, AO, and Control), with stratification based on baseline typing proficiency to ensure balanced motor skill levels across groups.

All participants will undergo a pre-assessment session that will include a 3-minute typing task focused on the index finger and TMS testing targeting the First Dorsal Interosseous (FDI) muscle. TMS measures will include Resting Motor Threshold (RMT), MEP Amplitude, and MEP Latency.

During the intervention phase:

The ME group will perform the typing task for 3 minutes. The AO group will watch a 3-minute point-of-view video of the same typing task. The Control group will receive no intervention and will simply wait between the assessments.

After the intervention, participants in all groups will repeat the same typing task and TMS assessments in the post-assessment phase.

Typing performance will be evaluated using an online typing platform, capturing typing speed (words per minute) and accuracy (percentage of correct characters). TMS data will be collected using the DEYMED DuoMAG XT with consistent coil placement and stimulation parameters. Five reproducible MEPs will be recorded per participant per session to ensure reliability.

Enrollment: 60 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 26 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Age between 18 and 26 years
• Healthy university students with no known neurological, psychiatric, or musculoskeletal conditions
• Intact motor functioning of the upper limbs
• Basic typing proficiency using a 10-finger typing method
• Ability to understand study procedures and provide informed consent

Exclusion criteria

• Typing speed less than 16 words per minute
• Use of hunt-and-peck or single-finger typing style
• History of seizures or epilepsy
• Current use of neuroactive medications
• Presence of metallic implants in the head or upper body
• Any contraindications to Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)
• Left-handed individuals using non-standard typing techniques (unless provided with adapted materials)

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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60 participants in 3 patient groups

ME

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will undergo pre and post assessments. Each assessment include Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) and typing performance tests. Pre-assessment will be conducted in the first visit. In the second visit, Motor Execution (ME) group will perform a 3-minute typing task using both hands in a standardized posture. The typing task will consist of custom-designed text that emphasizes use of the index finger, matching the target muscle for TMS. Participants will then undergo post-assessment as same as the pre-assessment within 15 minutes after completing the typing task. There will be time window more than 48 hours between visits.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Motor Execution Typing Task

AO

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will undergo pre and post assessments. Each assessment include Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) and typing performance tests. Pre-assessment will be conducted in the first visit. During the second visit, participants in the Action Observation (AO) group will observe a 3-minute first-person point-of-view video of a person typing the same standardized text used in the ME group. The video will emphasize index finger movement on a QWERTY keyboard. Participants will then undergo post-assessment as same as the pre-assessment within 15 minutes after watching the typing video. There will be time window more than 48 hours between visits.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Action Observation of Typing Task

Control

No Intervention group

Description:

Participants in the Control group will not receive any intervention between the pre- and post-assessments. They will undergo the same assessments as the other groups to allow comparison of changes in cortical excitability and typing performance. There will be time window more than 48 hours between visits.