Mirror Illusion Training and Cross-education

Texas Christian University

Status: Unknown

Conditions: Exercise Therapy; Weight Lifting

Treatments: Other: Illusionary mirror visual feedback; Other: Unilateral resistance training

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05084690

2021-102

Details and patient eligibility

About

Cross-education describes the transfer of motor performance to the opposite limb following unilateral training and is primarily explained by adaptations within the brain. The mirror training hypothesis suggests that illusionary mirror visual feedback may augment the cross-education of strength to the untrained, contralateral limb. The purpose of this project is to examine how the use of illusionary mirror visual feedback shapes the neuromuscular adaptations that occur for both limbs during unilateral (single-limb) strength training. Our hypothesis is that mirror training will augment the level of cross-education for the untrained arm.

Full description

Recent empirical evidence shows a heightened level of strength transfer with the use of illusionary mirror visual feedback, but this was shown for the small muscles of the wrist during isokinetic training. It is unknown if larger, multi-joint muscles respond favorably to mirror training in practical settings. A randomized controlled study design will allocate approximately 20 participants into two groups. One group will perform unilateral strength training with illusionary mirror visual feedback (Mirror) and the other will perform the same unilateral strength training but without a mirror (No-Mirror). The intervention will involve four weeks of unilateral strength training performed twice weekly at high intensities (>80%1RM).

Enrollment: 20 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 35 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• right-hand dominance
• no previous strength training of upper body last 3 months
• no injuries or recent surgeries of the upper limbs
• willingness to adhere to the strength training requirements of the study

Exclusion criteria

• current use of hormone replacement therapy
• pregnancy/breastfeeding

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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20 participants in 2 patient groups

Resistance training control group

Active Comparator group

Description:

The resistance training control group will perform unilateral resistance training on their dominant arm. The training will be performed twice per week for four weeks totaling eight training sessions.

Treatment:

Other: Unilateral resistance training

Resistance training with mirror illusion group

Experimental group

Description:

The resistance training with mirror illusion group will perform unilateral resistance training on their dominant arm. During training, they will view a mirror illusion of their exercising arm over their opposite, non-exercising arm. The training will be performed twice per week for four weeks totaling eight training sessions.

Treatment:

Other: Unilateral resistance training

Other: Illusionary mirror visual feedback