Neurophysiological and Functional Mechanisms of Motor Control and Learning

NYU Langone Health

Status: Completed

Conditions: Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation

Treatments: Procedure: TMS - Magstim.; Procedure: Sham tDCS; Procedure: tDCS-NeuroConn.

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03190590

17-00328

Details and patient eligibility

About

Noninvasive stimulation of the central nervous system, including transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), has been increasingly used in the investigation of cortical plasticity. The purpose of our study is to understand mechanistically-at the neurophysiological and systems levels-how the brain learns new motor skills. We propose to study the acquisition, consolidation, and retention of motor skill learning in healthy subjects. At the behavioral level, we will use movement kinematics to quantify and characterize movement, which allow us to infer functional strategies used by the brain to reduce movement errors. At a neurophysiological level, we will use TMS to document changes in cortical circuitry, which will allow us to infer neuroplastic changes possibly subserving these strategies. At a systems level, we will enhance motor system excitability using tDCS, which will enable us to infer the contribution of the stimulated area to the motor system's ability to learn new skills.

Enrollment: 30 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Right-handed dominance
• Ability to give informed consent

Exclusion criteria

• active and/or chronic neurological, psychiatric (including depression), or medical conditions
• psychoactive medication use
• active drug/alcohol dependence or abuse history
• homelessness or other social situation that would preclude consistent visits
• history of head injury (including neurosurgery)
• history of seizure
• inability to comprehend or participate in the procedures involved
• metal in the head (besides in mouth), such as implanted electrodes or devices, shrapnel, surgical clips, or fragments from welding/metalwork
• implanted devices (such as cardiac pacemakers, medical pumps, or intracardiac lines) in the thorax

Trial design

Primary purpose: Diagnostic

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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30 participants in 3 patient groups, including a placebo group

Transcranial direct current stimulator (tDCS)

Active Comparator group

Description:

tDCS is delivered noninvasively via electrodes applied to the surface of the head, and a mild electrical current is given during motor training.

Treatment:

Procedure: tDCS-NeuroConn.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)

Active Comparator group

Description:

TMS is delivered noninvasively via a hand-held coil applied to the surface of the head, and a magnetic pulse probes cortical circuitry \[this is not repetitive TMS and so does NOT modulate brain excitability.\]

Treatment:

Procedure: TMS - Magstim.

Sham-tDCS

Placebo Comparator group

Description:

delivered by briefly turning on and off the stimulator at the beginning of training, which mimics the sensation of true stimulation.

Treatment:

Procedure: Sham tDCS