Cortical Excitability During de Novo Motor Learning

NCT07455461 | Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: 2023-A02139-36
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 40
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

De novo motor learning is a specific learning paradigm that allows investigation of how a new motor skill is learned from scratch. Motor task learning can induce increased corticospinal excitability and reorganization of connectivity observed within the motor cortex (M1). Several studies have investigated the plasticity mechanisms underlying motor learning using simple paradigms. The results obtained have been variable, with a major trend toward increased corticospinal excitability, while other results show no increase. We expect to observe a significant increase in excitability and enhanced intracortical reorganization mechanisms within M1 in our subjects during our de novo motor learning sessions. The primary objective of this study is to measure changes in corticospinal excitability of the motor system across 3 de novo motor learning sessions separated by different time intervals. The secondary objectives will be: 1) to measure learning across the three practice sessions, 2) to measure changes in inhibition and facilitation across the 3 learning sessions, and 3) to measure correlations between subjects' motor performance and corticospinal and intracortical changes.

Conditions

Motor Learning; Corticospinal Excitability

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (4)

• Change in Motor Evoked Potential (MEP) Amplitude Input-Output Curve Assessed by Single-Pulse TMS

  Motor Evoked Potential amplitude (mV) recorded from the target muscle (Abductor Pollicis Brevis) in response to increasing TMS intensities. The parameters of the sigmoid input-output curve will be calculated using a Boltzmann function fit.

  Baseline (Day 1, pre-session), immediately post-session on Day 1, pre-session on Day 2, immediately post-session on Day 2, pre-session on Day 9, and immediately post-session on Day 9

• Change in Short-Interval Intracortical Inhibition (SICI) Assessed by Paired-Pulse TMS

  Conditioned MEP amplitude expressed as a ratio of unconditioned MEP amplitude (%), using a conditioning stimulus at 80% RMT and inter-stimulus interval of 3 ms.

  Baseline (Day 1, pre-session), immediately post-session on Day 1, pre-session on Day 2, immediately post-session on Day 2, pre-session on Day 9, and immediately post-session on Day 9

• Change in Long-Interval Intracortical Inhibition (LICI) Assessed by Paired-Pulse TMS

  Conditioned MEP amplitude as a ratio of unconditioned MEP amplitude (%), using a conditioning stimulus at suprathreshold intensity and inter-stimulus interval of 100ms.

  Baseline (Day 1, pre-session), immediately post-session on Day 1, pre-session on Day 2, immediately post-session on Day 2, pre-session on Day 9, and immediately post-session on Day 9

• Change in Intracortical Facilitation (ICF) Assessed by Paired-Pulse TMS

  Conditioned MEP amplitude as a ratio of unconditioned MEP amplitude (%), using a conditioning stimulus at 80% RMT and an inter-stimulus interval of 10ms.

  Baseline (Day 1, pre-session), immediately post-session on Day 1, pre-session on Day 2, immediately post-session on Day 2, pre-session on Day 9, and immediately post-session on Day 9

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Change in Motor Learning Performance Assessed by Movement Path Length During a 3D Finger-Cursor Task

  During each motor learning session on Day 1, Day 2, and Day 9

Study Arms (1)

Motor learning

EXPERIMENTAL

Subjects follow a de novo motor learning protocol

Behavioral: De novo motor learning

Interventions

De novo motor learning BEHAVIORAL

Subjects will follow 3 sessions of de-novo motor learning (days 1, 2, 8)

Motor learning

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 35 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• right-handed
• healthy
• having signed an informed consent form

You may not qualify if:

• counter-indication to transcranial magnetic stimulation
• pregnancy

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Universite du Littoral Cote d'Opale: lead

Study Sites (1)

Eurasport

Loos, 59120, France

RECRUITING

Central Study Contacts

Pierre D Morel, Dr

CONTACT

0033781692692; pierre.morel@univ-littoral.fr

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: BASIC SCIENCE
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: February 19, 2026
• First Posted: March 6, 2026
• Study Start: February 25, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): June 1, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): June 1, 2027
• Last Updated: March 6, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-02

Locations

FR (1)