Study of Moderate Aerobic Exercise and Brain Stimulation Effects on Motor Cortex Plasticity in Young and Older Adults

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are investigating how a single session of moderate aerobic exercise affects motor cortex neuroplasticity in older adults and comparing these effects with those in young adults. The study focuses on understanding how exercise, alone and combined with transcranial direct current stimulation tDCS, influences brain changes related to motor function and sensorimotor integration, which may decline with age. This research aims to improve knowledge about strategies to preserve motor function and independence in aging populations. Participants will take part in three experimental sessions involving different conditions aerobic exercise followed by tDCS, physical inactivity followed by tDCS, and aerobic exercise alone. The aerobic exercise consists of 20 minutes of cycling on an ergometer at moderate intensity, while tDCS involves 20 minutes of anodal stimulation over the primary motor cortex. Sessions are spaced at least one week apart, with randomized order for the first two conditions. During each session, participants will undergo assessments using transcranial magnetic stimulation TMS to measure corticospinal excitability and intracortical and sensorimotor circuit functions before and after interventions. Researchers will record motor evoked potentials from a hand muscle to evaluate neuroplasticity changes. Additional evaluations include questionnaires on physical activity and pain. Each session lasts between about 1 to 2 hours, with careful monitoring of exercise intensity and brain responses to the interventions.

Influence of Physical Exercise on Neuroplasticity and Sensorimotor Networks in Older Adults