HealthyNCT00123448
Mirroring a Movement
An observational study of Healthy, run by National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
This study will determine if the type of gesture, increased quantity of an image, and the number of times a face is shown repeating a gesture bring about activation in the "mirror neurons." Researchers aim to learn about which areas of the brain are necessary to perform certain cognitive tasks-that is, relating to a… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 21 to 55 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Healthy
- How many people
- 36 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 20 Jul 2005to 2 Jul 2008
- Phase
- Observational
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 21 to 55 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- In all the studies, subjects will consist of healthy, native English-speaking, right-handed volunteers, as measured by the Edinburgh Handedness Inventory. Subjects will range in age from 21 to 55 years old and they will be included regardless of race or gender.
Who cannot join
- Non-native English speakers and non-right handers will be excluded as mentioned above, as will non-neurologically normal volunteers. Subjects younger than 21 and older than 55 will be excluded. A urine pregnancy test will be employed with all women of childbearing age. The results must be negative in order to proceed with the MRI.
- Subjects with any of the following: aneurysm clip; implanted neural stimulator; implanted cardiac pacemaker or auto-defibrillator; cochlear implant; ocular foreign body, e.g. metal shavings; permanent eyeliner; insulin pump; or irremovable body piercing will be excluded from the study due to the possible dangerous effects of the magnet upon metal objects in the body. Subjects taking central nervous system active medications will be excluded.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, 9000 Rockville Pike
Bethesda, Maryland, 20892
About this study
This study will determine if the type of gesture, increased quantity of an image, and the number of times a face is shown repeating a gesture bring about activation in the "mirror neurons." Researchers aim to learn about which areas of the brain are necessary to perform certain cognitive tasks-that is, relating to a person's thinking or remembering-especially visual and motor tasks. Because one way humans learn is by imitation, a mechanism is required to transfer the behavior the person adopts from others through observation. This type of learning could be based on a mechanism similar to that provided by mirror neurons. From previous studies it has been learned that the observation of hands and mouths has brought about the most effective ways of activating the mirror neurons.
Patients ages 21 to 55 who are in good health, are right handed, are not pregnant, and are native speakers of English may be eligible for this study. There will be about 24 participants.
Read more
Patients will undergo a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. Before the scan, they will complete a safety questionnaire about the presence of any metal in their bodies. Patients are at risk for injury from the MRI magnet if they have pacemakers, dental implants or other devices. Female patients will undergo a pregnancy test. The technique MRI uses includes a strong magnetic field and radio waves to obtain images of body organs and tissues. During the initial MRI scan, patients will lie still on a table that will slide into the enclosed tunnel of the scanner. They will be in the scanner for about an hour. During the procedure, they may be asked to lie as still as possible for up to 20 minutes at a time. As the scanner takes pictures, patients will hear knocking or beeping sounds. Each participant will wear earplugs to reduce this noise. They will be able to communicate with the MRI staff at all times during the scan, and they may ask to be removed from the machine at any time. The functional MRI (fMRI) scan will involve taking pictures of the brain while patients are performing tasks. All the tasks will be explained, and patients will have the chance to practice them before entering the scanner. During the fMRI, patients will view short film segments of people making gestures. Before and after the scan, patients will be asked to complete several short questionnaires. The testing sessions will take a total of about 2 hours.
Participants will receive compensation for their time and inconvenience, with a maximum payment of $200. This study will not have a direct benefit for participants.
Read the detailed description
Objective: The purpose of the protocol is to determine the effects of the social content of gestures on brain activation patterns. We will localize the extent and areas of brain activation by using functional MRI during observation of gesture varied by type of gesture, number of images shown at a time, and number of times a subject is exposed to a face.
Study Population: Healthy, normal adult volunteers will participate in a gesture observation experiment using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
Design: The experiment we are conducting will employ an event-related design to determine whether increasing the social content of the gesture spreads activation from traditional sensorimotor regions engaged in mirror movement activity to regions in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) concerned with processing social behavior.
Outcome Measures: The data collected will consist of accuracy measures of cognitive performance, fMRI images, and post-questionnaire results. The results gained from this protocol will provide evidence for a social effect of gesturing.
- Conditions
- Healthy
- Keywords
- Mirror Neurons, fMRI, Premotor Cortex, gesture, Healthy Volunteer, HV
- Medical subject headings
- Gestures
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted22 Jul 2005 (estimated)
- Study start20 Jul 2005
- Study completion2 Jul 2008
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (1)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for HealthyStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Observational
- Enrolment
- 36 participants
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
- Sponsor type
- US National Institutes of Health
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT00123448
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 050205
- Other IDs
- 05-N-0205
- Status last verified
- 2 Jul 2008
- First submitted
- 21 Jul 2005
- Last updated
- 2 Jul 2017
- Results posted
- No
Publications
Belliveau JW, Rosen BR, Kantor HL, Rzedzian RR, Kennedy DN, McKinstry RC, Vevea JM, Cohen MS, Pykett IL, Brady TJ. Functional cerebral imaging by susceptibility-contrast NMR. Magn Reson Med. 1990 Jun;14(3):538-46. doi: 10.1002/mrm.1910140311.
PubMed 2355835
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 2 Jul 2017. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Mirroring a Movement
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT00123448
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 050205
- Conditions
- Healthy
- Keywords
- Mirror Neurons, fMRI, Premotor Cortex, gesture, Healthy Volunteer, HV
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 36 participants
- Lead sponsor
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)US National Institutes of Health
- Study start
- 20 Jul 2005
- Study completion
- 2 Jul 2008
- First posted
- 22 Jul 2005 (estimated)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This study will determine if the type of gesture, increased quantity of an image, and the number of times a face is shown repeating a gesture bring about activation in the "mirror neurons." Researchers aim to learn about which areas of the brain are necessary to perform certain cognitive tasks-that is, relating to a person's thinking or remembering-especially visual and motor tasks. Because one way humans learn is by imitation, a mechanism is required to transfer the behavior the person adopts from others through observation. This type of learning could be based on a mechanism similar to that provided by mirror neurons. From previous studies it has been learned that the observation of hands and mouths has brought about the most effective ways of activating the mirror neurons.
Patients ages 21 to 55 who are in good health, are right handed, are not pregnant, and are native speakers of English may be eligible for this study. There will be about 24 participants.
Patients will undergo a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. Before the scan, they will complete a safety questionnaire about the presence of any metal in their bodies. Patients are at risk for injury from the MRI magnet if they have pacemakers, dental implants or other devices. Female patients will undergo a pregnancy test. The technique MRI uses includes a strong magnetic field and radio waves to obtain images of body organs and tissues. During the initial MRI scan, patients will lie still on a table that will slide into the enclosed tunnel of the scanner. They will be in the scanner for about an hour. During the procedure, they may be asked to lie as still as possible for up to 20 minutes at a time. As the scanner takes pictures, patients will hear knocking or beeping sounds. Each participant will wear earplugs to reduce this noise. They will be able to communicate with the MRI staff at all times during the scan, and they may ask to be removed from the machine at any time. The functional MRI (fMRI) scan will involve taking pictures of the brain while patients are performing tasks. All the tasks will be explained, and patients will have the chance to practice them before entering the scanner. During the fMRI, patients will view short film segments of people making gestures. Before and after the scan, patients will be asked to complete several short questionnaires. The testing sessions will take a total of about 2 hours.
Participants will receive compensation for their time and inconvenience, with a maximum payment of $200. This study will not have a direct benefit for participants.
Detailed description
Objective: The purpose of the protocol is to determine the effects of the social content of gestures on brain activation patterns. We will localize the extent and areas of brain activation by using functional MRI during observation of gesture varied by type of gesture, number of images shown at a time, and number of times a subject is exposed to a face.
Study Population: Healthy, normal adult volunteers will participate in a gesture observation experiment using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
Design: The experiment we are conducting will employ an event-related design to determine whether increasing the social content of the gesture spreads activation from traditional sensorimotor regions engaged in mirror movement activity to regions in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) concerned with processing social behavior.
Outcome Measures: The data collected will consist of accuracy measures of cognitive performance, fMRI images, and post-questionnaire results. The results gained from this protocol will provide evidence for a social effect of gesturing.
Study design
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 21 to 55 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- In all the studies, subjects will consist of healthy, native English-speaking, right-handed volunteers, as measured by the Edinburgh Handedness Inventory. Subjects will range in age from 21 to 55 years old and they will be included regardless of race or gender.
Key exclusion criteria (2 listed)
- Non-native English speakers and non-right handers will be excluded as mentioned above, as will non-neurologically normal volunteers. Subjects younger than 21 and older than 55 will be excluded. A urine pregnancy test will be employed with all women of childbearing age. The results must be negative in order to proceed with the MRI.
- Subjects with any of the following: aneurysm clip; implanted neural stimulator; implanted cardiac pacemaker or auto-defibrillator; cochlear implant; ocular foreign body, e.g. metal shavings; permanent eyeliner; insulin pump; or irremovable body piercing will be excluded from the study due to the possible dangerous effects of the magnet upon metal objects in the body. Subjects taking central nervous system active medications will be excluded.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Primary outcome
Not reported in the source record.
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 2 Jul 2017.
- Background: PubMed 2355835Belliveau JW, Rosen BR, Kantor HL, Rzedzian RR, Kennedy DN, McKinstry RC, Vevea JM, Cohen MS, Pykett IL, Brady TJ. Functional cerebral imaging by susceptibility-contrast NMR. Magn Reson Med. 1990 Jun;14(3):538-46. doi: 10.1002/mrm.1910140311.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of Healthy, run by National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 2 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 2 Jul 2017. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT00123448, which also lists 1 linked publication.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 2 Jul 2017; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 27 Oct 2026.