Brain Imaging and Behavioural Changes Following Cued-movement Training of Finger Sequences in Healthy Older Adults
NCT ID: NCT06174740
Last Updated: 2024-12-05
Study Results
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Basic Information
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COMPLETED
NA
50 participants
INTERVENTIONAL
2023-07-01
2024-10-15
Brief Summary
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1. Is auditory-based motor training associated with increased structural integrity of brain white matter tracts (connecting auditory-motor regions) compared to motor training with visual cues only?
2. Is auditory-based motor training (as compared to visual clues only) associated with increased brain cortical thickness, and changes in brain activation while performing a task in the MRI and while at rest, in auditory and sensorimotor regions?
3. Does auditory-based motor training lead to greater motor improvement on the trained task compared to a visually cued motor training?
4. Does auditory-based motor training lead to greater improvement on thinking, movement, and self-reported wellbeing measures, compared to visual cues alone?
In an 8-week home training, participants will be randomized into either the music-cued motor learning (Experimental Group) or visually cued only condition (Control Group), participants will complete the following measures before-and-after the training is administered at week 1 and in the end of the 8-week trial:
* MRI scans (structural and functional)
* Behavioral measures (motor, cognition)
* Questionnaires administered pre-and-post training (psychosocial functioning).
* Questionnaires administered once only (personality traits, musical background)
* In between measures, participants will follow an online computer-based training at home of 20 minutes per session, 3 times per week for 8 weeks, for a total of 24 sessions constituting 8 hours of training.
Detailed Description
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Objective: The goal of the current study is to examine structural and functional neural correlates, as well as changes in behavioral and self-report measures of audiovisual music-based motor training compared to an identical motor training using visual cues only. The study focuses on white matter changes as the primary objective as the researchers are interested in connections between auditory and motor brain regions implicated in music-cued motor training. The research will examine brain activation, and changes in grey matter volume as secondary neuroimaging outcomes. Moreover, the study will also examine improvement on the trained task (outside of the MRI scanner), and changes on standardized measures of motor and cognitive function, as well as self-report measures of psychological wellbeing.
The main hypothesis is that the music-based motor training group will show greater white matter integrity of the arcuate fasciculus and greater density of cortical thickness in motor areas in the right brain hemisphere opposite to the trained left hand, as well as greater changes in brain activation while performing the task and at rest. The music group is expected to show greater improvement on the trained task, and measures of motor and cognitive function, as well as self-report measures of wellbeing (motivational, mood, and experience). As an exploratory measure, the study will assess changes in dual-task interference before and after the training as a far-transfer measure of the training, both in motor function and the underlying brain function.
Study design: In an 8-week longitudinal between-group design, participants will be randomized into two groups and will participate in pre-and-post MRI scans and behavioral measures, administered at baseline (week 1) and end of trial (week 8). The learning of an audio-visual finger movement sequence task will be compared to training on the same motor sequence with visual cues only. Participants will be assessed before and after the 8-week training on MRI and behavioral measures.
Study population: A total of 50 healthy older adults (60 years and older) will be recruited for this study and randomized into two groups of 25 participants each. Inclusion criteria are being right-handed (assessed by the Edinburgh Handedness Inventory), neurologically and physically healthy adult aged 60 or older (a previous diagnosis of a neurological/psychiatric illness that is symptom-free and for which no treatment was necessary for at least 5 years may be included), other physical health conditions that are stable (no change in diagnosis or treatment in the past 2 years may be included), having age-normal cognitive function (as assessed by a score of ≥24 on the MMSE), age appropriate normal or corrected vision and hearing ability, speaking fluent Dutch, and not currently receiving musical training. Participants should have access to a computer to complete the training at home. Participants will be recruited through various channels in the Netherlands including ageing organizations, (social) media, and study recruitment websites.
Sample Size: In a previous study with a longitudinal design using the same learning task in healthy young adults, the researchers found a medium size effect for changes in white matter tracts connecting auditory and motor regions (i.e., arcuate fasciculus) in the brain hemisphere opposite the trained hand. Therefore, it is estimated that the sample size needed to show a similar medium sized effect would be 22 per group, however, this number is increased to 25 healthy older participants per group to account for additional drop out at the analysis stage.
Intervention: Two groups will receive a similar intervention of finger sequence movement learning following visual cues with (or without) rhythmic auditory stimulation. Participants will be trained on the task at the laboratory before baseline measures. Participants will continue training at home online on a computer and keyboard for 20 minutes per session 3 times per week for 8 weeks for a total of 24 sessions. The Music group will train the finger sequence with the aid of visual cues in synchrony with a musical rhythm, while the Control group will receive the same visual stimulation with no auditory component.
Main study parameters/endpoints: The main parameter is change in white matter tracts underlying auditory-motor regions (arcuate fasciculus) in the brain hemisphere opposite the trained hand, contrasting before and after training, and between hemispheres. Secondary MRI parameters focus on cortical thickness changes in primary, premotor, and supplementary motor areas, task-related brain activation in the premotor cortex, and resting-state functional connectivity of auditory-motor regions. Motor performance on the cued motor sequence task will be assessed by measuring the accuracy of the key presses and the timing stability in synchrony with the onset of the cue. Changes in the scores of standardized motor and cognitive measures, and self-reported questionnaires on motivational and mood indices will be compared between groups and timepoints. As an exploratory outcome, the study will also assess changes in dual-task interference before and after the training both behaviorally and in terms of associated brain activity while performing the task.
Conditions
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Keywords
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Study Design
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RANDOMIZED
PARALLEL
BASIC_SCIENCE
SINGLE
Study Groups
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Music-Cued Audiovisual Motor Training
Participants will be instructed on the task which they will perform at home online using a keyboard. The training involved auditory-cued audiovisual finger movement sequence learning task. Participants will complete an online computer-based training of 20 minutes at home 3 times per week for the duration of 8 weeks, and a total of 24 sessions, the duration and number of sessions.
Music-cued audiovisual motor training
In addition to visual cues, music stimuli guide finger sequence movement both rhythmically (temporal component) and sonically (pitch-finger alignment).
Visually-Cued Motor Training
Participants will be instructed on the task which they will perform at home online using a keyboard. The training involved visual cues for finger-movement sequence learning task. Participants will complete an online computer-based training of 20 minutes at home 3 times per week for the duration of 8 weeks, and a total of 24 sessions, the duration and number of sessions
Visually-cued motor training
Visual cues guide finger sequence movement by indicating which finger to move in alignment with the position and of the visual cue.
Interventions
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Music-cued audiovisual motor training
In addition to visual cues, music stimuli guide finger sequence movement both rhythmically (temporal component) and sonically (pitch-finger alignment).
Visually-cued motor training
Visual cues guide finger sequence movement by indicating which finger to move in alignment with the position and of the visual cue.
Other Intervention Names
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria
* Neurologically and physically healthy adults (a previous diagnosis of a neurological/psychiatric illness that is symptom-free and for which no treatment was necessary for at least 5 years may be included), other physical health conditions that are stable (no change in diagnosis or medication in the past 2 years may be included)
* aged 60 or older,
* Age-normal cognitive function (as assessed by a score of ≥24 on the MMSE),
* Age appropriate normal or corrected vision and hearing ability,
* Speaking fluent Dutch,
* Not currently receiving musical training.
* Participants should have access to a computer and internet to complete the training at home.
Exclusion Criteria
* Starting or currently engaged in hand training, including musical training, and for example knitting, type-writing, or other hobbies (musical activities such as dancing or singing that do not involve the hand).
* Changes in medications that may affect fMRI measures.
* Not being able to follow the training at the laboratory or at home, or not completing the practice at home despite alerts and reminders.
60 Years
ALL
Yes
Sponsors
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Universiteit Leiden
OTHER
Responsible Party
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Rebecca Schaefer
Associate Professor
Principal Investigators
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Hanneke E Hulst, PhD
Role: STUDY_CHAIR
Universiteit Leiden
Locations
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Faculty of Social Science, Leiden University
Leiden, , Netherlands
Countries
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References
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Other Identifiers
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2022-08-23-RS Schaefer-V2-4097
Identifier Type: -
Identifier Source: org_study_id