Can moderate aerobic exercise combined with mild brain stimulation boost motor-cortex plasticity in older adults?

Is this trial a fit for you?

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

Healthy young (20–35) and older (65–80) adults will take part in three laboratory sessions in a randomized crossover design. In different sessions participants will complete a single bout of moderate aerobic exercise or a period of physical inactivity, each followed by transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). Neurophysiological testing using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) will measure corticospinal excitability, intracortical circuits, and sensorimotor integration before and after each condition. The study compares how exercise alone and exercise plus tDCS change motor cortex neuroplasticity in older versus young adults.

Why it matters

Who can join: the full rules

Inclusion Criteria:

* Men or women aged 20 to 35 for the younger group and 65 to 80 for the older group.
* Healthy right-handed or left-handed subjects.
* Subjects who have signed an informed consent form.
* Ability to understand spoken and written French to follow study procedures.
* Subjects affiliated with or beneficiaries of a social security system.

Exclusion Criteria:

* History of psychaitric disorders : individuals with mental retardation or severe impairment of cognitive, behavioral, or emotional functions that prevent them from understanding the protocol and signing the informed consent form.
* Neurological history (epilepsy, stroke, brain or spinal cord surgery, and history of neurological diseases affecting motor skills and sensitivity, such as multiple sclerosis, neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's or Alzheimer's).
* Inability to give informed consent (e.g., dementia, significant hearing impairment, insufficient language proficiency).
* Contraindications to TMS and tDCS : uncontrolled epilepsy, intracranial metallic foreign body, hearing aid or cochlear implant, implanted stimulator or pump, scalp skin lesion, high intracranial pressure, cerebrospinal fluid shunt).
* Presence of a cardiac pacemaker or other implanted electronic medical device.
* Use of psychotropic drugs.
* Individuals under legal guardianship or curatorship.
* Pregnant and breastfeeding women.
* Inability or recognized contraindication to physical activity.

Where it's running

• Eurasport
  Loos, Nord, France Recruiting

Study contacts

• Study coordinator: Hervé Devanne, Pr
• Email: herve.devanne@univ-littoral.fr
• Phone: +33 6 76 32 12 84

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How to take part

1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.