Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
The goal of this clinical trial is learn about motor imagery training (i.e. imagining a task) with healthy older adults. The main question this clinical trial aims to answer is:
• Will imagining a task improve control of force during an elbow flexion muscle contraction in healthy older adults?
Participants will:
Researchers will compare the motor imagery training with the control group to see if control of force is improved in the motor imagery training group.
Motor imagery training could be beneficial in rehabilitative settings when participants are not physically capable of preforming a motor task or in injury prevention scenarios such as when multiple repetitions of a motor task should not be performed. If the effects of motor imagery training are favourable then they could have meaningful influence on the performance of steady movements in older adults who experience declines in force steadiness with age. Therefore, the first aim of this study will be to determine if one session of motor imagery training will influence corticospinal excitability in older adults and improve force steadiness during isometric elbow flexion contractions with the observed benefit being greater in females. The second aim of this study will be to determine if there is an associated change in oscillations in common synaptic input to motor neurons with a change in force steadiness.
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
| Label | Type | Description | Intervention Names |
|---|---|---|---|
| Motor Imagery Training | Experimental | Participants will do motor imagery training in 5 minute blocks for a total of 20 minutes. |
|
| Control | No Intervention | Participants will watch a documentary in 5 minute blocks for a total of 20 minutes. |
| Name | Type | Description | Arm Group Labels | Other Names |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Motor imagery training | Other | Participants imagine themselves through their own eyes performing submaximal elbow flexion contractions. |
|
| Measure | Description | Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
| Force steadiness | Measured as the the coefficient in variation of force | Within one session: Change from baseline (immediately before session) to 20 minutes after the session |
| Corticospinal excitability | Measured as the peak-to-peak amplitude of a motor evoked potential | Within one session: Change from baseline (immediately before session) to 20 minutes after the session |
| Common synaptic input | Estimated from motor unit discharge times. | Within one session: Change from baseline (immediately before session) to 20 minutes after the session |
| Measure | Description | Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
| Maximal elbow flexion force | The total amount of force produced during a maximal contraction | Within one session: Change from baseline (immediately before session) to 20 minutes after the session |
Not provided
Inclusion Criteria:
Healthy older adults aged 65 to 90 years old
Exclusion Criteria:
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
| Name | Role | Phone | Extension | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jennifer Jakobi, PhD | Contact | 250-807-9884 | jennifer.jakobi@ubc.ca |
| Name | Affiliation | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Jennifer Jakobi, PhD | University of British Columbia- Okanagan | Principal Investigator |
Not provided
Not provided
Participants will be randomly assigned to either the motor imagery training group or the control group.
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided