Basic ScienceNCT05124301
Neural Basis of Sensory and Motor Learning: Functional Connections
A study testing Perceptual learning in people with Basic Science, run by Indiana University at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
The purpose of this study is to understand how the sensory and motor areas of the brain work together to keep a person's hand movements accurate (sensorimotor learning). The investigators hope this information may be useful one day to improve rehabilitation techniques in patients with brain lesions. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 45 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Basic Science
- What is being tested?
- Perceptual learning
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 76 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 13 Apr 2022to 13 Jun 2024
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Yes, posted in the registrySummary in the doctors' view
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 18 to 45 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- Ages of 18-45 years old
- Right-handed.
- Free of Covid symptoms in week preceding testing.
Who cannot join
- metallic, mechanical, or magnetic implants;
- are claustrophobic, or are unable to remain still for long periods of time;
- use an intra-uterine device (IUD) whos MR compatibility has not been established.
- Women who are pregnant or think they might be pregnant will also be excluded, as effects of fMRI on the unborn are not known.
- People who have a BMI over 30 will be excluded as it may be uncomfortable or impossible to lay in the MRI scanner and reach the button box.
- Potential subjects will be excluded if they have any neurological disorders, or orthopedic or pain conditions in the upper limbs.
Show all 9Show fewer
- Investigators will also exclude subjects who do not have normal vision, or corrected-to-normal vision with contacts, or the imaging center does not have a pair of MRI compatible glasses that fits their prescription.
- investigators will invite subjects to reschedule if they have any of the common Covid symptoms within the last week and if they haven't been fully vaccinated or obtained a negative Covid test within the past 4 days. If they don't believe they can meet these criteria on another date, they will be excluded.
- After giving their consent, participants may be excluded during the study if they are unable to perform the tasks or follow instructions.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
Indiana University Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana, 47405
About this study
The purpose of this study is to understand how the sensory and motor areas of the brain work together to keep a person's hand movements accurate (sensorimotor learning). The investigators hope this information may be useful one day to improve rehabilitation techniques in patients with brain lesions.
Read the detailed description
Human perception of hand position is multisensory. The brain can estimate it visually, from an image on the retina, and proprioceptively, from receptors in the joints and muscles. The sensory inputs determining these percepts are subject to changes in environmental factors (e.g., lighting) and internal factors (e.g., movement history). Multisensory integration of visual and proprioceptive estimates gives us flexibility to cope with such changes. For example, washing dishes with the hands immersed in water creates a spatial misalignment between vision and proprioception, as water refracts light. The brain resolves this conflict by realigning visual and/or proprioceptive estimates of hand position, and also by adjusting motor commands (visuomotor adaptation). The neural basis of these adaptive processes is poorly understood. The purpose of this study is to find out if multisensory and visuomotor learning are accompanied by changes in resting state connectivity between sensory regions of the brain and other areas.
The first session is a familiarization session for functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and the behavioral task, and is expected to last 30-40 minutes. Subjects will first fill out screening forms to confirm the answers given during the initial screening, and the Edinburgh handedness inventory to quantify their handedness. If subjects are still eligible, subjects will lie in a mock scanner and perform the functional task: Subjects will have their left index finger taped to a wooden stick, and an experimenter from the team will manipulate the finger with the stick outside of the scanner. Subjects will respond to the different movements by pressing buttons with their right hand. Subjects will also be introduced to the behavioral task, which is performed at an apparatus in the room next to the scanner: Subjects sit in front of a touchscreen and point to targets seen in a mirror.
If subjects are interested in moving on to the main session at this point, the main session will be scheduled.
The main session will take about 2 hours. Subjects will first fill out the MR safety screening form. Subjects will then perform some practice trials of the behavioral task to remind the subject of the task. This will be followed by the first resting state scan (12 min), a 20-30 minute baseline block of the behavioral task (no learning), a second resting state scan (12 min), the 20-30 minute learning block of the behavioral task, and a third resting state scan (12 min). Finally, the subject will do the functional task in the scanner (same as familiarization session, 12 min. total) and an anatomical scan (~6 minutes). The session will conclude with some questions about the subject's subjective experience of the procedures.
- Conditions
- Basic Science
- Being tested
- Perceptual learning
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Perceptual learningBehavioural
Reaching task with visual feedback offset from target finger position.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Perceptual learning | Experimental | Reaching task in which visual information about target finger position is offset to induce a change in perception of the finger. Receives: Behavioral: Perceptual learning |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Resting-state PMv-M1 Functional Connectivity (Fisher Z-transformed Correlation)
Brain activity was measured during a 12-minute resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scan. Resting-state functional connectivity between the ventral premotor cortex (PMv) and primary motor cortex (M1) was quantified as the Pearson correlation coefficient between the mean blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) time series extracted from anatomically defined PMv and M1 regions of interest. Correlation coefficients were Fisher z-transformed to improve normality. For each participant, connectivity values were averaged across all scans acquired during the main session. The outcome measure is the mean Fisher z-transformed correlation value (unitless). Numbers range from -1 (opposite activity in the two regions) to 1 (similar activity in the two regions), with 0 implying no relationship between the two regions.
Measured: 3 scans during the main session (2 hours)
Weighting of Vision vs. Proprioception
Measured by comparing where subjects point on the touchscreen when they are estimating visual vs. proprioceptive targets. A person who relies only on vision would have a weighting value of 100%. A person who relies only on proprioception would have a weighting of 0%. A value of 50% would imply equal reliance on vision and proprioception.
Measured: Measured during the main session (2 hours)
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted17 Nov 2021
- Study start13 Apr 2022
- Primary completion13 Jun 2024
- Study completion13 Jun 2024
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Posted resultsParticipant flow, outcome measures and adverse events reported by the sponsor.
- Other trials for Basic ScienceStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Indiana UniversityThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- 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
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 76 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Indiana University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Hannah Justine Block, Indiana University
- Investigators
- Hannah Block, Principal investigator, Indiana University, Bloomington
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05124301
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 13138
- Other IDs
- R01NS112367-01A1
- Status last verified
- Dec 2025
- First submitted
- 4 Nov 2021
- Last updated
- 28 Jan 2026
- Results posted
- Yes, on ClinicalTrials.gov
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: All IPD that underlie results published in peer-reviewed journals will be shared except individual brain scans.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 28 Jan 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Neural Basis of Sensory and Motor Learning: Functional Connections
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05124301
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 13138
- Conditions
- Basic Science
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 76 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Indiana UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
- Study start
- 13 Apr 2022 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 13 Jun 2024 (actual)
- Study completion
- 13 Jun 2024 (actual)
- First posted
- 17 Nov 2021 (actual)
- Results
- Posted 28 Jan 2026
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The purpose of this study is to understand how the sensory and motor areas of the brain work together to keep a person's hand movements accurate (sensorimotor learning). The investigators hope this information may be useful one day to improve rehabilitation techniques in patients with brain lesions.
Detailed description
Human perception of hand position is multisensory. The brain can estimate it visually, from an image on the retina, and proprioceptively, from receptors in the joints and muscles. The sensory inputs determining these percepts are subject to changes in environmental factors (e.g., lighting) and internal factors (e.g., movement history). Multisensory integration of visual and proprioceptive estimates gives us flexibility to cope with such changes. For example, washing dishes with the hands immersed in water creates a spatial misalignment between vision and proprioception, as water refracts light. The brain resolves this conflict by realigning visual and/or proprioceptive estimates of hand position, and also by adjusting motor commands (visuomotor adaptation). The neural basis of these adaptive processes is poorly understood. The purpose of this study is to find out if multisensory and visuomotor learning are accompanied by changes in resting state connectivity between sensory regions of the brain and other areas.
The first session is a familiarization session for functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and the behavioral task, and is expected to last 30-40 minutes. Subjects will first fill out screening forms to confirm the answers given during the initial screening, and the Edinburgh handedness inventory to quantify their handedness. If subjects are still eligible, subjects will lie in a mock scanner and perform the functional task: Subjects will have their left index finger taped to a wooden stick, and an experimenter from the team will manipulate the finger with the stick outside of the scanner. Subjects will respond to the different movements by pressing buttons with their right hand. Subjects will also be introduced to the behavioral task, which is performed at an apparatus in the room next to the scanner: Subjects sit in front of a touchscreen and point to targets seen in a mirror.
If subjects are interested in moving on to the main session at this point, the main session will be scheduled.
The main session will take about 2 hours. Subjects will first fill out the MR safety screening form. Subjects will then perform some practice trials of the behavioral task to remind the subject of the task. This will be followed by the first resting state scan (12 min), a 20-30 minute baseline block of the behavioral task (no learning), a second resting state scan (12 min), the 20-30 minute learning block of the behavioral task, and a third resting state scan (12 min). Finally, the subject will do the functional task in the scanner (same as familiarization session, 12 min. total) and an anatomical scan (~6 minutes). The session will conclude with some questions about the subject's subjective experience of the procedures.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Perceptual learning | Experimental | Behavioral: Perceptual learningReaching task in which visual information about target finger position is offset to induce a change in perception of the finger. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 45 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Ages of 18-45 years old
- Right-handed.
- Free of Covid symptoms in week preceding testing.
Key exclusion criteria (9 listed)
- metallic, mechanical, or magnetic implants;
- are claustrophobic, or are unable to remain still for long periods of time;
- use an intra-uterine device (IUD) whos MR compatibility has not been established.
- Women who are pregnant or think they might be pregnant will also be excluded, as effects of fMRI on the unborn are not known.
- People who have a BMI over 30 will be excluded as it may be uncomfortable or impossible to lay in the MRI scanner and reach the button box.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Perceptual learningReaching task with visual feedback offset from target finger position. | Behavioural | Perceptual learning |
Primary outcome
Resting-state PMv-M1 Functional Connectivity (Fisher Z-transformed Correlation)
Time frame: 3 scans during the main session (2 hours)
Brain activity was measured during a 12-minute resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scan. Resting-state functional connectivity between the ventral premotor cortex (PMv) and primary motor cortex (M1) was quantified as the Pearson correlation coefficient between the mean blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) time series extracted from anatomically defined PMv and M1 regions of interest. Correlation coefficients were Fisher z-transformed to improve normality. For each participant, connectivity values were averaged across all scans acquired during the main session. The outcome measure is the mean Fisher z-transformed correlation value (unitless). Numbers range from -1 (opposite activity in the two regions) to 1 (similar activity in the two regions), with 0 implying no relationship between the two regions.
Weighting of Vision vs. Proprioception
Time frame: Measured during the main session (2 hours)
Measured by comparing where subjects point on the touchscreen when they are estimating visual vs. proprioceptive targets. A person who relies only on vision would have a weighting value of 100%. A person who relies only on proprioception would have a weighting of 0%. A value of 50% would imply equal reliance on vision and proprioception.
Results and safety
Loading the posted results from ClinicalTrials.gov…
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 28 Jan 2026.
- Posted resultsParticipant flow, baseline, all outcome measures and adverse events.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. All IPD that underlie results published in peer-reviewed journals will be shared except individual brain scans.
Related trials for Basic Science
Active, not recruiting
Improving Student Mental Health Through a Universal Trauma-Informed Intervention
Anxiety Symptoms, Post-traumatic Stress Symptoms
Recruiting
Behavioral Economic & Staffing Strategies in the ICU
Implementation Science, Delirium
Not yet recruitingObservational study
A Community-based, Peer-led Counseling Service: A Hybrid Type 3 Effectiveness-implementation Study
Psychological Distress, Stress Psychological
Not yet recruiting
Implementing Modified Practices to Leverage Evidence for Movement, Engagement, and Nutrition Topics in Early Childcare and Education
Dietary Intakes, Physical Activity
Enrolling by invitationObservational study
Universal Type 1 Diabetes Screening in Pediatrics
Type 1 Diabetes (T1D)
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.
Hannah Block principal investigator
Indiana University, Bloomington
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Perceptual learning in people with Basic Science, run by Indiana University 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 3 inclusion and 9 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 28 Jan 2026. 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?
Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 28 Jan 2026). A summary is in the For doctors view, and the full results are on ClinicalTrials.gov.
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.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Resting-state PMv-M1 Functional Connectivity (Fisher Z-transformed Correlation) (time frame: 3 scans during the main session (2 hours)). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
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 28 Jan 2026.