Muscle Loss
Conditions
Brief summary
The research project explores how non-invasive brain stimulation can be used to detect and ameliorate loss of muscle strength after inactivity. At present, there is a limited understanding of how to maintain muscle strength during inactivity. Increasing evidence indicates that reduction in muscle strength following immobilisation is associated with reduced cortical motor output. Therefore, the aim of the study is to test if brain stimulation, can maintain cortical motor output and ameliorate the loss of muscle strength following immobilisation.
Interventions
OTHERTranscranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)
TMS is a safe and non-invasive technique, which involves the generation of brief magnetic pulses applied to the head through a coil. The magnetic pulses pass through the scalp and skull and induce weak electric currents in the neural tissue directly underneath the coil. When TMS is applied in repetitive, patterned trains of pulses (rTMS), it can induce cortical plasticity specifically in the targeted brain region.
Sponsors
Lancaster University
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
SINGLE (Subject)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
MALE
Age
18 Years to 30 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Male * right-handed * aged 18-30 * healthy BMI
Exclusion criteria
* no primary muscle disorders * no open wounds or skin conditions to arms and hands * no neurological disorders or history of * no history of fainting/convulsions * no metal implanted into head/eye/neck * non-smoker * no arm, hand, fingers, shoulder injuries
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in Motor Evoked Potentials (MEPs) across time points | 0, 24, 48, and 72 hours | MEPs are elicited via TMS to primary motor cortex and index the excitability of the motor pathway. They are recorded non-invasively from muscles using surface electrodes. At each time point of the study (0, 24, 48, 72 hours) record MEPs will be recorded pre and post-intervention from the hand muscles of the dominant (immobilised) arm, and non-dominant (non-immobilised arm), to evaluate changes in excitability. Specifically, the peak-to-peak value of the MEPs from the hand will be measured, which reflects the amplitude of the MEP response. The latency of the MEP to index neural conduction speed will also be measured. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in grip strength across time points | 0, and 72 hours. | Grip strength of the dominant and non-dominant hands will be assessed using an isokinetic dynamometer at 0 and 72 hrs post-immobilisation. This will measure the strength of the hand muscles. |
Countries
United Kingdom
Outcome results
None listed