Correlations Between Fine Manual Motor Skills and Speech Articulation

The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between cerebral motor control during a manual task and during an articulary task, using functional MRI in a cohort or young adults aged between 18 and 35.

The literature reveals a well-established relationship between manual motor skills and speech from an anatomical and functional point of view. Some studies indicate a proximity between the motor cortical regions corresponding to the hand and the mouth, with a mutual interaction of the two functions from the earliest stages of life (for example, the Babkin reflex). Experimental data shows that hand movements can be influenced by mouth movements. Neurophysiological studies have demonstrated the existence of a link between these two systems in humans and monkeys.

To date, no study has identified the common cortical networks that are active during these two limb movements in a given sample of subjects. The aim of this study is to determine whether such networks exist. The results could be therapeutically relevant, particularly for stroke patients, by enabling more effective restoration of articulatory abilities through complementary limb movements.

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Key information

Conditions

Correlations Between Cerebral Motor Control During a Manual Task and During an Articulatory Task Behavior Communication Speech Verbal Behavior

Age range

18 year–35 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

CHU de Nice

Nice, PACA, 06003, France

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

Male or female between the ages of 18 and 35
Right-handed
Member of beneficiary of a social security insurance
Signature of an informed consent

Exclusion criteria

Disorders of fine manual motor skills and/or articulatory disorders
A neurological history that has affected the subject's cerebral function (stroke, head injury)
Contraindication to MRI (presence of ferromagnetic material in the body, claustrophobia)
Pregnant women
Taking medication that may alter the cerebral haemodynamic signal

Treatment and study plan

Tasks learning and MRI scan

Other

2-week learning and training phase of motor tasks and oral and facial language (OLF) tasks.

Manual fine motor tasks will correspond to activities requiring increasing precision and different types of grip (crushing a ball, modelling clay with the palm of the hand, sorting round coins with thumb/index pliers).

The OLF praxis tasks will correspond to coordinated movements of different parts of the face (cheeks, lips and tongue).

MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) exam, During this exam, the investigator will give to the subject instructions for a task to be carried out. These tasks will correspond to the motor tasks previously trained.

Primary outcomes

Recording of brain activity during manual motor skills and speech articulation

Time frame: 2 weeks after inclusion

Detection and comparison of fMRI image sequences of brain areas based on variations in the difference between oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin during manual motor tasks and silent phoneme articulation

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nice

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Cortical Correlations Between Fine Manual Motor Skills and Speech Articulation : Pilot Study

Acronym: MOFiA

Important dates

Study start: 2025
Primary completion: 2026
Study completion: 2026
First posted: Apr 3, 2025
Registry last updated: Mar 19, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.

Completed