Age-independent Decline in Manual Dexterity of Middle-aged and Older Adults

NCT03803566 | Withdrawn

• 1 other identifier: 18-0269
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: N/A
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The objective of the clinical trial is to evaluate the mediating influence of force control on the pegboard times of adults (50-89 years) who are stratified into groups of faster and slower pegboard times. The hypothesis is that practice of either a pegboard test or a force-control task will reduce pegboard times, but the decrease will be greater and less similar after the two practice interventions for the slower group of participants. The outcomes are expected to demonstrate that force control is a modifiable mediator of pegboard times for this cohort, but the effect will be stronger for the group with faster pegboard times.

Conditions

Aging

Keywords

Manual dexterity

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (4)

• Grooved pegboard test

  Time to complete the test as quickly as possible

  Changes from baseline (week 1) at weeks 4 and 7

• 9-hole pegboard test

  Time to complete the test as quickly as possible

  Changes from baseline (week 1) at weeks 4 and 7

• Jebsen Hand Function test

  Time to complete the test as quickly as possible

  Changes from baseline (week 1) at weeks 4 and 7

• Force control

  The coefficient of variation for force when subjects exert a constant submaximal force

  Changes from baseline (week 1) at weeks 4 and 7

Secondary Outcomes (5)

• EMG amplitude

  Changes from baseline (week 1) at weeks 4 and 7

• MVC force

  Changes from baseline (week 1) at weeks 4 and 7

• 1-RM load

  Changes from baseline (week 1) at weeks 4 and 7

• Index finger acceleration

  Changes from baseline (week 1) at weeks 4 and 7

• Motor unit discharge rates

  Changes from baseline (week 1) at weeks 4 and 7

Study Arms (2)

Faster

EXPERIMENTAL

This group will comprise participants who complete the grooved pegboard test at baseline with a time of less than 71 seconds. One half of the members in this group will perform the two interventions in the order of pegboard practice and then force control practice, whereas the other half of the group will perform the two practice interventions in the opposite order.

Other: Pegboard practice; Other: Force control practice

Slower

EXPERIMENTAL

This group will comprise participants who complete the grooved pegboard test at baseline with a time of greater than 70 seconds. One half of the members in this group will perform the two interventions in the order of pegboard practice and then force control practice, whereas the other half of the group will perform the two practice interventions in the opposite order.

Other: Pegboard practice; Other: Force control practice

Interventions

Pegboard practice OTHER

Practice of the grooved pegboard test

Faster; Slower

Force control practice OTHER

Practice performing steady muscle contractions

Faster; Slower

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 50 Years - 89 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Able to read, write, and speak English
• Able to arrange transportation to the Boulder campus

You may not qualify if:

• Cognitive impairment
• Major psychiatric condition
• Unstable depressive disorder
• Progressive neurological, muscular, cardiovascular, or skeletal disorder
• Chronic pain condition
• Currently taking medication known to influence neuromuscular function
• Recent hospitalization
• Unable to attend 12 practice sessions in 6 weeks

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Colorado, Boulder: lead

Study Sites (1)

University of Colorado Boulder

Boulder, Colorado, 80309, United States

Location

Study Officials

• Roger Enoka, PhD

  University of Colorado, Boulder

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: BASIC SCIENCE
• Intervention Model: CROSSOVER
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: January 10, 2019
• First Posted: January 14, 2019
• Study Start: August 1, 2025
• Primary Completion: November 1, 2025
• Study Completion (Estimated): July 1, 2026
• Last Updated: November 16, 2021

Record last verified: 2021-11

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)