Exploring how humans use tools through brain imaging

NeuroCognitive Bases of Tool Use

This study is testing how our brains help us use tools by looking at brain activity in healthy adults while they perform tasks involving tools.

Quick facts

• Phase: NA
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 320 (estimated)
• Ages: 18 Years to 65 Years
• Sex: All
• Sponsor: Hospices Civils de Lyon (other)
• Locations: 1 site (Bron)
• Trial ID: NCT04566744 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

This study investigates the neurocognitive mechanisms underlying human tool use by utilizing functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI). It aims to identify specific brain regions, particularly the supramarginal gyrus in the left inferior parietal lobe, that are unique to humans and contribute to our advanced tool use capabilities. Participants will be healthy adults aged 18 to 65 who meet specific inclusion criteria and will undergo fMRI scans while engaging in tool-related tasks. The findings could enhance our understanding of the cognitive adaptations that distinguish human tool use from that of nonhuman species.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Ideal candidates for this study are healthy adults aged 18 to 65 who can provide informed consent and are fluent in French.

Not a fit: Patients with neurological or psychiatric illnesses, or those with certain medical implants, will not benefit from this study.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this research could provide insights into the cognitive processes that enable complex tool use in humans, potentially informing educational and therapeutic strategies.

How similar studies have performed: While studies on tool use and neuroimaging exist, this specific focus on the unique human neuroanatomical substrates is relatively novel.

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

* To be between the ages of 18 and 65 years old
* Having given an informed consent for the study

Exclusion Criteria:

* Pregnant or breastfeeding woman
* Persons under curators or deprived of civil rights or deprived of their freedom
* Not being registered with the French Social Security System
* Not able to read/write the French
* Neurologic or psychiatric illness, known or revealed during the inclusion visit
* Substance intake ( taking psychoactive medications or recreational drugs) on the day of the experiment
* Noise intolerance
* Unable to fill a questionnaire (severe cognitive troubles)
* Not willing that their personal doctor to be informed in case of a MRI anomaly.
* Not willing to be informed in case of MRI anomaly
* Subjects must not have metallic or electronic implants in the body : pacemakers or pacemaker wires, open heart surgery, artificial heart valve, brain aneurysm surgery, middle ear implant, hearing aid, braces or extensive dental work, cataract surgery or lens implant, implanted mechanical or electrical device, or artificial limb or joint o foreign metallic objects in the body (bullets, pellets, shrapnel, or metalwork fragments) or current or past employment as machinists, welders or metal workers, tattoos near the head or neck regions, permanent makeup
* Not willing to complete the study
* Appearance of a exclusion criterion during the protocol
* Appearance of an undesirable event preventing the completion of the protocol
* Too great head movements (\>4mm for the session)
* Detection of artifacts in the brain images collected

Where this trial is running

Bron

• CERMEP — Bron, France (RECRUITING)

Study contacts

• Principal investigator: François OSIURAK, PhD — Université Lyon 2
• Study coordinator: François OSIURAK, PhD

Conditions: Healthy, Tool use, fMRI, neuroimaging