NCT05084690

Mirror Illusion Training and Cross-education

Mirror Illusion Training to Improve Contralateral Arm Strength

• Status: Unknown
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 20 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Texas Christian University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 35 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

Cross-education describes the transfer of motor performance to the opposite limb following unilateral training and is primarily explained by adaptations within the brain. The mirror training hypothesis suggests that illusionary mirror visual feedback may augment the cross-education of strength to the untrained, contralateral limb. The purpose of this project is to examine how the use of illusionary mirror visual feedback shapes the neuromuscular adaptations that occur for both limbs during unilateral (single-limb) strength training. Our hypothesis is that mirror training will augment the level of cross-education for the untrained arm.

Detailed description

Recent empirical evidence shows a heightened level of strength transfer with the use of illusionary mirror visual feedback, but this was shown for the small muscles of the wrist during isokinetic training. It is unknown if larger, multi-joint muscles respond favorably to mirror training in practical settings. A randomized controlled study design will allocate approximately 20 participants into two groups. One group will perform unilateral strength training with illusionary mirror visual feedback (Mirror) and the other will perform the same unilateral strength training but without a mirror (No-Mirror). The intervention will involve four weeks of unilateral strength training performed twice weekly at high intensities (\>80%1RM).

Conditions

• Exercise Therapy
• Weight Lifting

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Unilateral resistance training	Unilateral resistance training of the elbow flexors
OTHER	Illusionary mirror visual feedback	Modified Ramachandran's mirror box

Timeline

• Start date: 2021-07-19
• Primary completion: 2023-08-19
• Completion: 2023-08-19
• First posted: 2021-10-20
• Last updated: 2021-10-20

Locations

2 sites across 1 country: United States