TMS-based Assessment of Mental Training Effects on Motor Learning in Healthy Participants

Summary

The general purpose of this research project is to analyze the specific role of motor imagery on motor learning, assessed through corticospinal excitability measurements and behavioral data collection. This project is based on four sequences. For Sequence 1, the main objective is to examine the effect of mental training on movement speed and accuracy in a manual motor sequence task, as well as the influence of sensory feedback in immediate post-test (i.e., execution of a similar, but not identical, manual motor sequence, other manual tasks) on performance in delayed post-test. The secondary objective will be to examine corticospinal changes (i.e., amplitude of motor evoked potentials) induced by mental training, by measuring the amplitude of motor evoked potentials before and after mental training. For Sequence 2, the main objective is to examine the impact of a motor disturbance induced by a robotic arm at different intervals during the motor imagery process. The secondary objective will be to examine the corticospinal changes (i.e. amplitude of evoked motor potentials) induced by mental training as a function of the applied perturbations, before and after perturbation. For Sequence 3, the main objective will be to examine the influence of neuroplasticity on the quality of mental training. More specifically, the investigators will study the links between brain plasticity and motor learning through mental training. The secondary objective will be to examine the corticospinal changes (i.e. amplitude of evoked motor potentials) induced by mental training at different levels of the neuromuscular system (cortical, cervicomedullar, peripheral) after a training period. For Sequence 4, the main objective will be to examine the effect of short-term arm-immobilization of on the retention of motor learning induced by mental training. The secondary objective will be to examine the corticospinal changes (i.e., amplitude of motor evoked potentials) induced by of short-term arm-immobilization, or by transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), on motor learning. The results of this fundamental research project will allow a better understanding of neurophysiological and behavioral mechanisms that underlie motor learning through motor imagery. The results will allow to efficiently consider inter-individual specificities and will thus open up to clinical research perspectives, towards the establishment of adapted motor rehabilitation protocols.

Conditions

• Motor Learning

Interventions

DEVICE

Transcranial direct current stimulation

Electric stimulation of the cortex

DEVICE

Paired Associative Stimulation

Combined magnetic and electric stimulation of cortex and nerve, respectively

DEVICE

Wrist

Short-term immobilization of the arm

DEVICE

Robotic arm

External perturbation of force field induced by robotic arm

DEVICE

Cervicomedullar stimulation

Electric stimulation of the muscle

OTHER

Physical training

Training to perform the task by actually doing the task

OTHER

Mental training

Training to perform the task by imaging doing the task

DEVICE

Transcranial magnetic stimulation

Magnetic stimulation of the cortex

DEVICE

Peripheral Nerve Stimulation

Electric stimulation of the nerves

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Institut National de la Santé Et de la Recherche Médicale, France

  lead OTHER_GOV

Principal Investigators

• Florent Lebon, PhD · Institut National de la Santé Et de la Recherche Médicale, France

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Masking

NONE

Model

FACTORIAL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

60 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2024-04-08

Primary Completion

2027-04-30

Completion

2029-04-30

Countries

• France

Study Locations