NCT07009561

Cortical Excitability and Typing Performance After Action Observation and Motor Execution

Comparison of Cortical Excitability and Typing Performance Across Action Observation, Motor Execution, and Control Conditions

• Status: Not Yet Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 60 (estimated)
• Sponsor: University of Sharjah · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 26 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

Goal: This study will aim to investigate the effects of different motor stimulation strategies-motor execution (ME) and action observation (AO)-on cortical excitability and typing performance in healthy individuals. Recruitment: A total of 60 healthy university students will be recruited and randomly assigned into three groups: Motor Execution group (n=20) Action Observation group (n=20) Control group (n=20) Evaluation Tools: Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) using DEYMED DuoMAG XT will be used to measure Resting Motor Threshold (RMT), Motor Evoked Potential (MEP) Amplitude, and MEP Latency of the First Dorsal Interosseous (FDI) muscle. Online Typing Test will be used to assess typing speed (words per minute) and accuracy (percentage of correct characters). Intervention: The ME group will perform a 3-minute typing task. The AO group will observe a 3-minute first-person video of typing. The Control group will not receive any intervention between assessments. All participants will undergo TMS and typing assessments twice, once before and once after the intervention.

Detailed description

This study will be designed as a randomized controlled trial to compare the effects of motor execution (ME) and action observation (AO) on cortical excitability and fine motor performance, using typing as the target motor task. A total of 60 healthy university students will be recruited from the University of Sharjah through convenience sampling. Participants will be screened based on inclusion and exclusion criteria and will provide informed consent prior to enrollment. Eligible participants will then be randomly assigned into three groups (ME, AO, and Control), with stratification based on baseline typing proficiency to ensure balanced motor skill levels across groups. All participants will undergo a pre-assessment session that will include a 3-minute typing task focused on the index finger and TMS testing targeting the First Dorsal Interosseous (FDI) muscle. TMS measures will include Resting Motor Threshold (RMT), MEP Amplitude, and MEP Latency. During the intervention phase: The ME group will perform the typing task for 3 minutes. The AO group will watch a 3-minute point-of-view video of the same typing task. The Control group will receive no intervention and will simply wait between the assessments. After the intervention, participants in all groups will repeat the same typing task and TMS assessments in the post-assessment phase. Typing performance will be evaluated using an online typing platform, capturing typing speed (words per minute) and accuracy (percentage of correct characters). TMS data will be collected using the DEYMED DuoMAG XT with consistent coil placement and stimulation parameters. Five reproducible MEPs will be recorded per participant per session to ensure reliability.

Conditions

• Young Adults

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Motor Execution Typing Task	Participants will perform a 3-minute typing task using custom-designed text that emphasizes index finger use. This task is designed to actively engage the motor cortex and will be administered in a controlled environment using standard posture and equipment. The task aims to elicit changes in cortical excitability, which will be measured pre- and post-intervention using TMS.
BEHAVIORAL	Action Observation of Typing Task	Participants will observe a 3-minute first-person video of an individual typing the standardized text. The video is designed to activate mirror neuron systems through visual engagement with a familiar motor task. It will be shown once in a controlled setting, and post-assessment of cortical excitability will follow immediately after.

Timeline

• Start date: 2025-06-15
• Primary completion: 2025-06-30
• Completion: 2025-07-30
• First posted: 2025-06-06
• Last updated: 2025-06-06

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United Arab Emirates