Recruiting

Primary Motor Cortex

Sponsor:

Indiana University

Code:

NCT07588113

Conditions

Cortical Excitability

Primary Motor Cortex

Motor Skills

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18 - 45

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Interventions

rTMS

Study Details

Brief summary:

When learning a new skill, much of the improvement comes from small alterations the brain makes with each repetition during practice, but this isn't the only time that improvements are made during the learning process. Individuals also get better at the motor skills during the time between practices, through a process called "consolidation." It is known that an area of the brain called the primary motor cortex is involved in learning during active practice, but the investigators want to study if the primary motor cortex is important for consolidation. The investigators will examine how lowering the activity in this brain region affects your ability to consolidate learning to play a song on the videogame Guitar Hero.

Conditions

Cortical Excitability

Primary Motor Cortex

Motor Skills

Study ID

NCT07588113

Start date

Apr 23, 2026

Status verified date

May, 2026

Completion date

Apr 23, 2027

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Apr 23, 2027

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18 - 45

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Between ages 18 and 45 years old (to avoid any changes in the developing brain, or with aging).
  • Answer 'no' to questions 2 through 17 on the brain stimulation questionnaire as these factors can increase likelihood of adverse events with brain stimulation.
  • No neurological damage, disease, or dysfunction (nerve damage, chronic pain disorders, diabetic neuropathy, epilepsy) that affect the upper limbs and limit the ability to complete the study, and/or compromise the objectives of the study
  • No significant visual impairment that would prevent them from playing a video game.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Currently prescribed and taking stimulant medication (Adderall, Ritalin, Vyvanse, etc.)
  • Consumption of over-the-counter stimulants such as caffeine or nicotine (coffee, soda, supplements, energy drinks, tobacco products, or other nicotine containing products such as gum, vape pens, etc...) 12 hours prior to entering the lab on the day of testing as this can directly affect cortical excitability. If a subject takes any of these substances 12 hours prior to the study visit they will be asked to reschedule for a later date.
  • Have played a real stringed instrument in the last 12 months (e.g. guitar, bass, violin)
  • Have played the videogame "Guitar Hero" on a traditional guitar controller in the last 12 months.

Study Design

Enrollment

32 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Randomized

Intervention Model

Parallel Assignment

Primary purpose

Basic Science

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

experimental: rTMS stimulation group

this group will receive 15 minutes of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation of the motor cortex while seated quietly

placebo comparator: SHAM stimulation group

This group will have the same stimulating wand placed over the head, but at a distance far enough away as to not activate the cortical neurons.

Interventions

rTMS

in the arm/group descriptions

Primary outcome measure

  • Gaming outcome [ Time Frame: 3 sessions, sessions 1 & 2 on the first day and session 3 on the follow-up day (next day) ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Zachary A Riley

317-274-1487zariley@iu.edu

Locations

National Institute for Fitness and Sport

Recruiting

Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, 46202

Contacts

Zachary Riley

zariley@iu.edu

More Information

Sponsor

Indiana University

Last update posted

Jun 1, 2026

Last verified

May, 2026

Keywords

  • Learning
  • Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, Repetitive

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-09. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by Indiana University on 2026-06-01.