Clinical Research Directory

Layer-specific Contribution to Consolidation of Skill Learning in the Primary Motor Cortex

Sponsor: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)

Summary

Background: Training in a new motor skill often involves periods of active practice and periods of rest. During early motor skill learning, improvements in performance usually happen during the short rest periods between practice sessions. Researchers want to use improved imaging techniques to study the contributions of specific parts of the brain to how people learn and retain movement skills. Objective: To learn the part played by different layers in the brain in retaining a newly learned movement skill. Eligibility: Healthy, right-handed, English-speaking people age 18-50. Design: Participants will be screened with: * Medical and neurological history * Medicine review * Physical exam * Neurological exam. Participants may have 2 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of the brain. During the MRI, they will lie in the scanner. The scanner makes noise. They will get earplugs. Participants will have behavior testing. A specific order of keys will be displayed on a computer screen. Participants will practice typing the keys with their left hand 36 times (in 10-second blocks). They will repeat this test with a random order of keys. Participants will see single numbers displayed one after the other on the computer screen. They will make single tap responses using the finger that corresponds with the number on the screen. Participants will have up to 4 study sessions. Each session will take about 5 hours....

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