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Spontaneous activity patterns in human motor cortex replay evoked activity patterns for hand movements. Sci Rep 2022; 12:16867. [PMID: 36207360 PMCID: PMC9546868 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-20866-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Spontaneous brain activity, measured with resting state fMRI (R-fMRI), is correlated among regions that are co-activated by behavioral tasks. It is unclear, however, whether spatial patterns of spontaneous activity within a cortical region correspond to spatial patterns of activity evoked by specific stimuli, actions, or mental states. The current study investigated the hypothesis that spontaneous activity in motor cortex represents motor patterns commonly occurring in daily life. To test this hypothesis 15 healthy participants were scanned while performing four different hand movements. Three movements (Grip, Extend, Pinch) were ecological involving grip and grasp hand movements; one control movement involving the rotation of the wrist was not ecological and infrequent (Shake). They were also scanned at rest before and after the execution of the motor tasks (resting-state scans). Using the task data, we identified movement-specific patterns in the primary motor cortex. These task-defined patterns were compared to resting-state patterns in the same motor region. We also performed a control analysis within the primary visual cortex. We found that spontaneous activity patterns in the primary motor cortex were more like task patterns for ecological than control movements. In contrast, there was no difference between ecological and control hand movements in the primary visual area. These findings provide evidence that spontaneous activity in human motor cortex forms fine-scale, patterned representations associated with behaviors that frequently occur in daily life.
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2
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Zhang T, Dong M, Wang H, Jia R, Li F, Ni X, Jin C. Visual expertise modulates baseline brain activity: a preliminary resting-state fMRI study using expertise model of radiologists. BMC Neurosci 2022; 23:24. [PMID: 35413843 PMCID: PMC9003981 DOI: 10.1186/s12868-022-00707-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Background visual expertise and experience modulate evoked brain activity in response to training-related stimuli. However, few studies have considered how the visual experience is represented in the resting state brain activity. This study tried to investigate the way visual experience, i.e., visual recognition expertise, modulates baseline brain neuronal activity in the resting state using the model of radiologists. Methods The amplitude of low-frequency (< 0.08 Hz) fluctuation (ALFF) was used as the metric of baseline brain activity and a visual expertise model of radiologists to investigated this question. The visual recognition skill enables them to accurately identify pathological information in medical images. After the behavior measurement, a cohort group of radiology interns (n = 22) and a group of matched layperson (n = 22) were selected for inclusion in the study. The resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans were performed for all of the subjects. Results Higher ALFF in the right fusiform gyrus and the left orbitofrontal cortex were observed, and the ALFF in the fusiform gyrus was correlated with the intern radiologists’ behavioral expertise(all results corrected for multiple comparisons). Conclusions Visual experience modulates the baseline brain activity in both high-level visual cortex and high-order cognitive cortex, indicating the engagement of both top-down and bottom-up facilitation. We provide a novel perspective to how visual experience modulated cortical brain activity by introducing the resting state changes. Also, we propose that our current study may provide novel ideas for the development of new training protocols in medical school.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Zhang
- School of Humanities and Social Science, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China.,College of Tourism & Landscape Architecture, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, China
| | - Minghao Dong
- Engineering Research Center of Molecular and Neuro Imaging of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University, Xi'an, 710071, Shaanxi, China.,Xi'an Key Laboratory of Intelligent Sensing and Regulation of Trans-Scale Life Information, School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University, Xi'an, 710126, Shaanxi, China
| | - Hongmei Wang
- Department of Medical Imaging, First Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Rui Jia
- College Students Mental Health Education Center, Xi'an University of Technology, Xi'an, China
| | - Fu Li
- Key Laboratory of Intelligent Perception and Image Understanding of Ministry of Education, School of Artificial Intelligence, Xidian University, Xi'an, China
| | - Xiaoli Ni
- School of Humanities and Social Science, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China.
| | - Chenwang Jin
- Department of Medical Imaging, First Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China.
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3
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Ueda N, Higashiyama Y, Saito A, Kimura K, Nakae Y, Endo M, Joki H, Kugimoto C, Kishida H, Doi H, Takeuchi H, Koyano S, Tanaka F. Relationship between motor learning and gambling propensity in Parkinson's disease. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 2022; 44:50-61. [PMID: 35658796 DOI: 10.1080/13803395.2022.2083083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The basal ganglia and related dopaminergic cortical areas are important neural systems underlying motor learning and are also implicated in impulse control disorders (ICDs). Motor learning impairments and ICDs are frequently observed in Parkinson's disease (PD). Nevertheless, the relationship between motor learning ability and ICDs has not been elucidated. METHODS We examined the relationship between motor learning ability and gambling propensity, a possible symptom for prodromal ICDs, in PD patients. Fifty-nine PD patients without clinical ICDs and 43 normal controls (NC) were administered a visuomotor rotation perturbation task and the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) to evaluate motor learning ability and gambling propensity, respectively. Participants also performed additional cognitive assessments and underwent brain perfusion SPECT imaging. RESULTS Better motor learning ability was significantly correlated with lower IGT scores, i.e., higher gambling propensity, in PD patients but not in NC. The higher scores on assessments reflecting prefrontal lobe function and well-preserved blood perfusion in prefrontal areas were correlated with lower IGT scores along with better motor learning ability. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that better motor learning ability and higher gambling propensity are based on better prefrontal functions, which are in accordance with the theory that the prefrontal cortex is one of the common essential regions for both motor learning and ICDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naohisa Ueda
- Department of Neurology, Yokohama City University Medical Center, Kanagawa, Japan.,Department of Neurology and Stroke Medicine, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Yuichi Higashiyama
- Department of Neurology and Stroke Medicine, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Asami Saito
- Department of Neurology and Stroke Medicine, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Katsuo Kimura
- Department of Neurology, Yokohama City University Medical Center, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Yoshiharu Nakae
- Department of Neurology and Stroke Medicine, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Masanao Endo
- Department of Neurology, Yokohama City University Medical Center, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Hideto Joki
- Department of Neurology and Stroke Medicine, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Chiharu Kugimoto
- Department of Neurology and Stroke Medicine, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Hitaru Kishida
- Department of Neurology, Yokohama City University Medical Center, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Doi
- Department of Neurology and Stroke Medicine, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Hideyuki Takeuchi
- Department of Neurology and Stroke Medicine, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Shigeru Koyano
- Department of Neurology and Stroke Medicine, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Fumiaki Tanaka
- Department of Neurology and Stroke Medicine, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Kanagawa, Japan
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4
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Bastos P, Barbosa R. Motor reserve: How to build neuronal resilience against ageing and neurodegeneration? Rev Neurol (Paris) 2022; 178:845-854. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neurol.2021.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2021] [Revised: 11/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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5
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Aznárez-Sanado M, Eudave L, Martínez M, Luis EO, Villagra F, Loayza FR, Fernández-Seara MA, Pastor MA. Brain Activity and Functional Connectivity Patterns Associated With Fast and Slow Motor Sequence Learning in Late Middle Adulthood. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 13:778201. [PMID: 35095468 PMCID: PMC8792532 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2021.778201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The human brain undergoes structural and functional changes across the lifespan. The study of motor sequence learning in elderly subjects is of particularly interest since previous findings in young adults might not replicate during later stages of adulthood. The present functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study assessed the performance, brain activity and functional connectivity patterns associated with motor sequence learning in late middle adulthood. For this purpose, a total of 25 subjects were evaluated during early stages of learning [i.e., fast learning (FL)]. A subset of these subjects (n = 11) was evaluated after extensive practice of a motor sequence [i.e., slow learning (SL) phase]. As expected, late middle adults improved motor performance from FL to SL. Learning-related brain activity patterns replicated most of the findings reported previously in young subjects except for the lack of hippocampal activity during FL and the involvement of cerebellum during SL. Regarding functional connectivity, precuneus and sensorimotor lobule VI of the cerebellum showed a central role during improvement of novel motor performance. In the sample of subjects evaluated, connectivity between the posterior putamen and parietal and frontal regions was significantly decreased with aging during SL. This age-related connectivity pattern may reflect losses in network efficiency when approaching late adulthood. Altogether, these results may have important applications, for instance, in motor rehabilitation programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maite Aznárez-Sanado
- School of Education and Psychology, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
- Neuroimaging Laboratory, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Luis Eudave
- School of Education and Psychology, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
- Neuroimaging Laboratory, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Martín Martínez
- School of Education and Psychology, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
- Neuroimaging Laboratory, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Elkin O. Luis
- School of Education and Psychology, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
- Neuroimaging Laboratory, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Federico Villagra
- Neuroimaging Laboratory, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
- Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS), Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, United Kingdom
| | - Francis R. Loayza
- Neuroimaging Laboratory, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
- Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Production Sciences (FIMCP), Escuela Superior Politecnica del Litoral (ESPOL), Guayaquil, Ecuador
| | - María A. Fernández-Seara
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IdiSNA), Pamplona, Spain
- Department of Radiology, Clínica Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - María A. Pastor
- Neuroimaging Laboratory, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IdiSNA), Pamplona, Spain
- School of Medicine, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
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Jäger ATP, Huntenburg JM, Tremblay SA, Schneider U, Grahl S, Huck J, Tardif CL, Villringer A, Gauthier CJ, Bazin PL, Steele CJ. Motor sequences; separating the sequence from the motor. A longitudinal rsfMRI study. Brain Struct Funct 2021; 227:793-807. [PMID: 34704176 PMCID: PMC8930963 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-021-02412-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
In motor learning, sequence specificity, i.e. the learning of specific sequential associations, has predominantly been studied using task-based fMRI paradigms. However, offline changes in resting state functional connectivity after sequence-specific motor learning are less well understood. Previous research has established that plastic changes following motor learning can be divided into stages including fast learning, slow learning and retention. A description of how resting state functional connectivity after sequence-specific motor sequence learning (MSL) develops across these stages is missing. This study aimed to identify plastic alterations in whole-brain functional connectivity after learning a complex motor sequence by contrasting an active group who learned a complex sequence with a control group who performed a control task matched for motor execution. Resting state fMRI and behavioural performance were collected in both groups over the course of 5 consecutive training days and at follow-up after 12 days to encompass fast learning, slow learning, overall learning and retention. Between-group interaction analyses showed sequence-specific decreases in functional connectivity during overall learning in the right supplementary motor area (SMA). We found that connectivity changes in a key region of the motor network, the superior parietal cortex (SPC) were not a result of sequence-specific learning but were instead linked to motor execution. Our study confirms the sequence-specific role of SMA that has previously been identified in online task-based learning studies, and extends it to resting state network changes after sequence-specific MSL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna-Thekla P Jäger
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany. .,Center for Stroke Research Berlin (CSB), Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
| | | | - Stefanie A Tremblay
- Department of Physics/Perform Center, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Montreal Heart Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Uta Schneider
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Sophia Grahl
- Clinic of Neurology, Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Julia Huck
- Department of Physics/Perform Center, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Christine L Tardif
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Montreal Neurological Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Arno Villringer
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.,Center for Stroke Research Berlin (CSB), Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Clinic for Cognitive Neurology, Leipzig, Germany.,IFB Adiposity Diseases, Leipzig University Medical Centre, Leipzig, Germany.,Collaborative Research Centre 1052-A5, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Claudine J Gauthier
- Department of Physics/Perform Center, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Montreal Heart Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Pierre-Louis Bazin
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.,Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Christopher J Steele
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.,Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada
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7
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Hand BJ, Opie GM, Sidhu SK, Semmler JG. Motor cortex plasticity and visuomotor skill learning in upper and lower limbs of endurance-trained cyclists. Eur J Appl Physiol 2021; 122:169-184. [DOI: 10.1007/s00421-021-04825-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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8
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Physical activity, motor performance and skill learning: a focus on primary motor cortex in healthy aging. Exp Brain Res 2021; 239:3431-3438. [PMID: 34499187 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-021-06218-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Participation in physical activity benefits brain health and function. Cognitive function generally demonstrates a noticeable effect of physical activity, but much less is known about areas responsible for controlling movement, such as primary motor cortex (M1). While more physical activity may support M1 plasticity in older adults, the neural mechanisms underlying this beneficial effect remain poorly understood. Aging is inevitably accompanied by diminished motor performance, and the extent of plasticity may also be less in older adults compared with young. Motor complications with aging may, perhaps unsurprisingly, contribute to reduced physical activity in older adults. While the development of non-invasive brain stimulation techniques have identified that human M1 is a crucial site for learning motor skills and recovery of motor function after injury, a considerable lack of knowledge remains about how physical activity impacts M1 with healthy aging. Reducing impaired neural activity in older adults may have important implications after neurological insult, such as stroke, which is more common with advancing age. Therefore, a better understanding about the effects of physical activity on M1 processes and motor learning in older adults may promote healthy aging, but also allow us to facilitate recovery of motor function after neurological injury. This article will initially provide a brief overview of the neurophysiology of M1 in the context of learning motor skills, with a focus on healthy aging in humans. This information will then be proceeded by a more detailed assessment that focuses on whether physical activity benefits motor function and human M1 processes.
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9
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Cavaleri R, Chipchase LS, Summers SJ, Chalmers J, Schabrun SM. The Relationship Between Corticomotor Reorganization and Acute Pain Severity: A Randomized, Controlled Study Using Rapid Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Mapping. PAIN MEDICINE 2021; 22:1312-1323. [PMID: 33367763 DOI: 10.1093/pm/pnaa425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Although acute pain has been shown to reduce corticomotor excitability, it remains unknown whether this response resolves over time or is related to symptom severity. Furthermore, acute pain research has relied upon data acquired from the cranial "hotspot," which do not provide valuable information regarding reorganization, such as changes to the distribution of a painful muscle's representation within M1. Using a novel, rapid transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) mapping method, this study aimed to 1) explore the temporal profile and variability of corticomotor reorganization in response to acute pain and 2) determine whether individual patterns of corticomotor reorganization are associated with differences in pain, sensitivity, and somatosensory organization. METHODS Corticomotor (TMS maps), pain processing (pain intensity, pressure pain thresholds), and somatosensory (two-point discrimination, two-point estimation) outcomes were taken at baseline, immediately after injection (hypertonic [n = 20] or isotonic saline [n = 20]), and at pain resolution. Follow-up measures were recorded every 15 minutes until 90 minutes after injection. RESULTS Corticomotor reorganization persisted at least 90 minutes after pain resolution. Corticomotor depression was associated with lower pain intensity than was corticomotor facilitation (r = 0.47 [P = 0.04]). These effects were not related to somatosensory reorganization or peripheral sensitization mechanisms. CONCLUSIONS Individual patterns of corticomotor reorganization during acute pain appear to be related to symptom severity, with early corticomotor depression possibly reflecting a protective response. These findings hold important implications for the management and potential prevention of pain chronicity. However, further research is required to determine whether these adaptations relate to long-term outcomes in clinical populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rocco Cavaleri
- Brain Stimulation and Rehabilitation (BrainStAR) Lab, School of Health Sciences, Western Sydney University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Lucy S Chipchase
- Brain Stimulation and Rehabilitation (BrainStAR) Lab, School of Health Sciences, Western Sydney University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Simon J Summers
- Brain Stimulation and Rehabilitation (BrainStAR) Lab, School of Health Sciences, Western Sydney University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Discipline of Sport and Exercise Science, Faculty of Health, University of Canberra, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Jane Chalmers
- Brain Stimulation and Rehabilitation (BrainStAR) Lab, School of Health Sciences, Western Sydney University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,IIMPACT in Health, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
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10
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Detecting structural and functional neuroplasticity in elite ice-skating athletes. Hum Mov Sci 2021; 78:102795. [PMID: 33940321 DOI: 10.1016/j.humov.2021.102795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2020] [Revised: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Using resting-state fMRI, this study investigated long-term ice-skating training related changes in elite ice-skating athletes and compared them to healthy age-matched non-athletes under resting-state conditions. Significant differences were found in both structural and functional plasticity. Specifically, elite ice-skating athletes showed higher gray matter volume in the posterior cerebellum, frontal lobe, temporal lobe, posterior cingulate, caudate, and thalamus. The functional plasticity changes were primarily concentrated in the posterior cerebellar lobe. Additionally, stronger connectivity between the posterior cerebellar lobe and fusiform gyrus was also found in elite ice-skating athletes. Overall, the results are consistent with other studies that concluded long-term professional motor skill training can cause structural and functional plasticity in the regions of the brain related to motor planning, execution, and supervision. Both structural plasticity and functional plasticity are primarily enhanced in the posterior cerebellum. These changes may be related to the outstanding capability of speed and coordination caused by long-term ice-skating training. Present results add new evidence and may help us to understand the neural mechanisms of long-term motor skill training.
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11
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Gao Y, Cavuoto L, Dutta A, Kruger U, Yan P, Nemani A, Norfleet JE, Makled BA, Silvestri J, Schwaitzberg S, Intes X, De S. Decreasing the Surgical Errors by Neurostimulation of Primary Motor Cortex and the Associated Brain Activation via Neuroimaging. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:651192. [PMID: 33828456 PMCID: PMC8019915 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.651192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Acquisition of fine motor skills is a time-consuming process as it is based on learning via frequent repetitions. Transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) is a promising means of enhancing simple motor skill development via neuromodulatory mechanisms. Here, we report that non-invasive neurostimulation facilitates the learning of complex fine bimanual motor skills associated with a surgical task. During the training of 12 medical students on the Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery (FLS) pattern cutting task over a period of 12 days, we observed that transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) decreased error level and the variability in performance, compared to the Sham group. Furthermore, by concurrently monitoring the cortical activations of the subjects via functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), our study showed that the cortical activation patterns were significantly different between the tDCS and Sham group, with the activation of primary motor cortex (M1) and prefrontal cortex (PFC) contralateral to the anodal electrode significantly decreased while supplemental motor area (SMA) increased by tDCS. The lowered performance errors were retained after 1-month post-training. This work supports the use of tDCS to enhance performance accuracy in fine bimanual motor tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanyuan Gao
- Center for Modeling, Simulation and Imaging in Medicine, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, United States
| | - Lora Cavuoto
- Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, United States
| | - Anirban Dutta
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, United States
| | - Uwe Kruger
- Center for Modeling, Simulation and Imaging in Medicine, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, United States.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, United States
| | - Pingkun Yan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, United States
| | - Arun Nemani
- Center for Modeling, Simulation and Imaging in Medicine, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, United States.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, United States
| | - Jack E Norfleet
- U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command - Soldier Center (CCDC SC), Orlando, FL, United States.,SFC Paul Ray Smith Simulation and Training Technology Center (STTC), Orlando, FL, United States.,Medical Simulation Research Branch, Orlando, FL, United States
| | - Basiel A Makled
- U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command - Soldier Center (CCDC SC), Orlando, FL, United States.,SFC Paul Ray Smith Simulation and Training Technology Center (STTC), Orlando, FL, United States.,Medical Simulation Research Branch, Orlando, FL, United States
| | - Jessica Silvestri
- Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, United States
| | - Steven Schwaitzberg
- Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, United States.,Department of Surgery, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, United States.,Buffalo General Hospital, Buffalo, NY, United States
| | - Xavier Intes
- Center for Modeling, Simulation and Imaging in Medicine, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, United States.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, United States
| | - Suvranu De
- Center for Modeling, Simulation and Imaging in Medicine, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, United States.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, United States
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12
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Neural correlates of motor expertise: Extensive motor training and cortical changes. Brain Res 2020; 1739:146323. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2019.146323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2018] [Revised: 06/28/2019] [Accepted: 07/02/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
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13
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Abstract
Resting-state functional connectivity provides novel insight into variations in neural networks associated with addiction to stimulant drugs in individuals with and without a family history of addiction, and both with and without personal drug use. An increased risk for addiction, either because of drug use or genetic/psychosocial vulnerability, is associated with hypoconnectivity in frontostriatal networks, which may weaken goal-directed decision-making. Resilience against addiction development, by contrast, is characterized by hyperconnectivity in two corticostriatal pathways, possibly reflecting compensatory responses in networks associated with regulatory control over habitual behaviors. It is thus conceivable that defying the risk of developing stimulant drug addiction requires increased efforts to control behavior—a hypothesis that may open up new pathways for therapeutic and preventative strategies. Regular drug use can lead to addiction, but not everyone who takes drugs makes this transition. How exactly drugs of abuse interact with individual vulnerability is not fully understood, nor is it clear how individuals defy the risks associated with drugs or addiction vulnerability. We used resting-state functional MRI (fMRI) in 162 participants to characterize risk- and resilience-related changes in corticostriatal functional circuits in individuals exposed to stimulant drugs both with and without clinically diagnosed drug addiction, siblings of addicted individuals, and control volunteers. The likelihood of developing addiction, whether due to familial vulnerability or drug use, was associated with significant hypoconnectivity in orbitofrontal and ventromedial prefrontal cortical-striatal circuits—pathways critically implicated in goal-directed decision-making. By contrast, resilience against a diagnosis of substance use disorder was associated with hyperconnectivity in two networks involving 1) the lateral prefrontal cortex and medial caudate nucleus and 2) the supplementary motor area, superior medial frontal cortex, and putamen—brain circuits respectively implicated in top-down inhibitory control and the regulation of habits. These findings point toward a predisposing vulnerability in the causation of addiction, related to impaired goal-directed actions, as well as countervailing resilience systems implicated in behavioral regulation, and may inform novel strategies for therapeutic and preventative interventions.
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14
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Berlot E, Popp NJ, Diedrichsen J. A critical re-evaluation of fMRI signatures of motor sequence learning. eLife 2020; 9:e55241. [PMID: 32401193 PMCID: PMC7266617 DOI: 10.7554/elife.55241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2020] [Accepted: 04/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite numerous studies, there is little agreement about what brain changes accompany motor sequence learning, partly because of a general publication bias that favors novel results. We therefore decided to systematically reinvestigate proposed functional magnetic resonance imaging correlates of motor learning in a preregistered longitudinal study with four scanning sessions over 5 weeks of training. Activation decreased more for trained than untrained sequences in premotor and parietal areas, without any evidence of learning-related activation increases. Premotor and parietal regions also exhibited changes in the fine-grained, sequence-specific activation patterns early in learning, which stabilized later. No changes were observed in the primary motor cortex (M1). Overall, our study provides evidence that human motor sequence learning occurs outside of M1. Furthermore, it shows that we cannot expect to find activity increases as an indicator for learning, making subtle changes in activity patterns across weeks the most promising fMRI correlate of training-induced plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Berlot
- The Brain and Mind Institute, University of Western OntarioOntarioCanada
| | - Nicola J Popp
- The Brain and Mind Institute, University of Western OntarioOntarioCanada
| | - Jörn Diedrichsen
- The Brain and Mind Institute, University of Western OntarioOntarioCanada
- Department of Computer Science, University of Western OntarioOntarioCanada
- Department of Statistical and Actuarial Sciences, University of Western OntarioOntarioCanada
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15
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Gauvreau S, Lefebvre J, Bells S, Laughlin S, Bouffet E, Mabbott DJ. Disrupted network connectivity in pediatric brain tumor survivors is a signature of injury. J Comp Neurol 2019; 527:2896-2909. [PMID: 31125446 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2018] [Revised: 04/25/2019] [Accepted: 04/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Cognition is compromised in pediatric brain tumor survivors but the neurophysiological basis of this compromise remains unclear. We hypothesized that reduced neural synchronization across brain networks is involved. To test this, we evaluated group differences using a retrospective cohort comparison design between 24 pediatric brain tumor survivors [11.81 ± 3.27)] and 24 age matched healthy children [12.04 ± 3.28)] in functional connectivity within a cerebellar network to examine local effects of the tumor, a whole brain network to examine diffuse effects of treatment (i.e., chemotherapy and radiation), and across multiple intrinsic connectivity networks. Neural activity was recorded during magnetoencephalography scanning while participants were at rest and functional connectivity within networks was measured using the phase lag index. We corroborated our findings using a computational model representing the local tumor effects on neural synchrony. Compared to healthy children, pediatric brain tumor survivors show increased functional connectivity for theta and beta frequency bands within the cerebellar network and increased functional connectivity for the theta band within the whole brain network that again localized to the cerebellum. Computational modeling showed that increased synchrony in the theta bad is observed following local clustering as well as sparse interarea brain connectivity. We also observed increased functional connectivity for the alpha frequency band in the ventral attention network and decreased functional connectivity within the gamma frequency band in the motor network within paedatric brain tumor survivors versus healthy children. Notably, increased gamma functional connectivity within the motor network predicted decreased reaction time on behavioral tasks in pediatric brain tumor survivors. Disrupted network synchrony may be a signature of neurological injury and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha Gauvreau
- Neurosciences and Mental Health Program, Research Institute, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Jérémie Lefebvre
- Krembil Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Mathematics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Sonya Bells
- Neurosciences and Mental Health Program, Research Institute, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
| | - Suzanne Laughlin
- The Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Diagnostic Imaging, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada.,The Department of Medical Imaging, Medical Imaging, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Eric Bouffet
- Division of Haematology/Oncology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Paediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Donald J Mabbott
- Neurosciences and Mental Health Program, Research Institute, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
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16
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Lavender AP, Obata H, Kawashima N, Nakazawa K. Effect of Paired Associative Stimulation on Corticomotor Excitability in Chronic Smokers. Brain Sci 2019; 9:brainsci9030062. [PMID: 30875969 PMCID: PMC6468379 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci9030062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2018] [Revised: 03/08/2019] [Accepted: 03/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic smoking has been shown to have deleterious effects on brain function and is an important risk factor for ischemic stroke. Reduced cortical excitability has been shown among chronic smokers compared with non-smokers to have a long-term effect and so far no study has assessed the effect of smoking on short-term motor learning. Paired associative stimulation (PAS) is a commonly used method for inducing changes in excitability of the motor cortex (M1) in a way that simulates short-term motor learning. This study employed PAS to investigate the effect of chronic cigarette smoking on plasticity of M1. Stimulator output required to elicit a motor-evoked potential (MEP) of approximately 1 mV was similar between the groups prior to PAS. MEP response to single pulse stimuli increased in the control group and remained above baseline level for at least 30 min after the intervention, but not in the smokers who showed no significant increase in MEP size. The silent period was similar between groups at all time points of the experiment. This study suggests that chronic smoking may have a negative effect on the response to PAS and infers that chronic smoking may have a deleterious effect on the adaptability of M1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew P Lavender
- School of Physiotherapy and Exercise Science, Curtin University, Bentley WA 6102, Australia.
| | - Hiroki Obata
- Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Institute of Liberal Arts, Kyushu Institute of Technology, Fukuoka 804-8550, Japan.
| | - Noritaka Kawashima
- Department of Rehabilitation of Movement Functions, Research Institute, National Rehabilitation Centre for Persons with Disabilities Tokorozawa, Saitama 359-0042, Japan.
| | - Kimitaka Nakazawa
- Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Komaba, Tokyo 113-8654, Japan.
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17
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Altered functional network connectivity relates to motor development in children born very preterm. Neuroimage 2018; 183:574-583. [PMID: 30144569 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.08.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2018] [Revised: 08/10/2018] [Accepted: 08/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Individuals born very preterm (<32 weeks gestation) are at increased risk for neuromotor impairments. The ability to characterize the structural and functional mechanisms underlying these impairments remains limited using existing neuroimaging techniques. Resting state-functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) holds promise for defining the functional network architecture of the developing brain in relation to typical and aberrant neurodevelopment. In 58 very preterm and 65 term-born children studied from birth to age 12 years, we examined relations between functional connectivity measures from low-motion rs-fMRI data and motor skills assessed using the Movement Assessment Battery for Children, 2nd edition. Across all subscales, motor performance was better in term than very preterm children. Examination of relations between functional connectivity and motor measures using enrichment analysis revealed between-group differences within cerebellar, frontoparietal, and default mode networks, and between basal ganglia-motor, thalamus-motor, basal ganglia-auditory, and dorsal attention-default mode networks. Specifically, very preterm children exhibited weaker associations between motor scores and thalamus-motor and basal ganglia-motor network connectivity. These findings highlight key functional brain systems underlying motor development. They also demonstrate persisting developmental effects of preterm birth on functional connectivity and motor performance in childhood, providing evidence for an alternative network architecture supporting motor function in preterm children.
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18
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Frazer AK, Pearce AJ, Howatson G, Thomas K, Goodall S, Kidgell DJ. Determining the potential sites of neural adaptation to cross-education: implications for the cross-education of muscle strength. Eur J Appl Physiol 2018; 118:1751-1772. [PMID: 29995227 DOI: 10.1007/s00421-018-3937-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2018] [Accepted: 07/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Cross-education describes the strength gain in the opposite, untrained limb following a unilateral strength training program. Since its discovery in 1894, several studies now confirm the existence of cross-education in contexts that involve voluntary dynamic contractions, eccentric contraction, electrical stimulation, whole-body vibration and, more recently, following mirror feedback training. Although many aspects of cross-education have been established, the mediating neural mechanisms remain unclear. Overall, the findings of this review show that the neural adaptations to cross-education of muscle strength most likely represent a continuum of change within the central nervous system that involves both structural and functional changes within cortical motor and non-motor regions. Such changes are likely to be the result of more subtle changes along the entire neuroaxis which include, increased corticospinal excitability, reduced cortical inhibition, reduced interhemispheric inhibition, changes in voluntary activation and new regions of cortical activation. However, there is a need to widen the breadth of research by employing several neurophysiological techniques (together) to better understand the potential mechanisms mediating cross-education. This fundamental step is required in order to better prescribe targeted and effective guidelines for the clinical practice of cross-education. There is a need to determine whether similar cortical responses also occur in clinical populations where, perhaps, the benefits of cross-education could be best observed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashlyn K Frazer
- Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, School of Primary and Allied Health Care, Monash University, PO Box 527, Frankston, Melbourne, VIC, 3199, Australia.
| | - Alan J Pearce
- Discipline of Exercise Science, School of Allied Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Glyn Howatson
- Department of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation, Northumbria University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK.,Water Research Group, School of Biological Sciences, North West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
| | - Kevin Thomas
- Department of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation, Northumbria University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK
| | - Stuart Goodall
- Department of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation, Northumbria University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK
| | - Dawson J Kidgell
- Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, School of Primary and Allied Health Care, Monash University, PO Box 527, Frankston, Melbourne, VIC, 3199, Australia
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19
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Chagas AP, Monteiro M, Mazer V, Baltar A, Marques D, Carneiro M, Rodrigues de Araújo MDG, Piscitelli D, Monte-Silva K. Cortical excitability variability: Insights into biological and behavioral characteristics of healthy individuals. J Neurol Sci 2018; 390:172-177. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jns.2018.04.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2016] [Revised: 04/13/2018] [Accepted: 04/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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20
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Increased brain activation during motor imagery suggests central abnormality in Neonatal Brachial Plexus Palsy. Neurosci Res 2017; 123:19-26. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2017.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2016] [Revised: 03/18/2017] [Accepted: 05/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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21
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McWhinney SR, Tremblay A, Boe SG, Bardouille T. The impact of goal-oriented task design on neurofeedback learning for brain-computer interface control. Med Biol Eng Comput 2017; 56:201-210. [PMID: 28687962 DOI: 10.1007/s11517-017-1683-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2017] [Accepted: 07/03/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Neurofeedback training teaches individuals to modulate brain activity by providing real-time feedback and can be used for brain-computer interface control. The present study aimed to optimize training by maximizing engagement through goal-oriented task design. Participants were shown either a visual display or a robot, where each was manipulated using motor imagery (MI)-related electroencephalography signals. Those with the robot were instructed to quickly navigate grid spaces, as the potential for goal-oriented design to strengthen learning was central to our investigation. Both groups were hypothesized to show increased magnitude of these signals across 10 sessions, with the greatest gains being seen in those navigating the robot due to increased engagement. Participants demonstrated the predicted increase in magnitude, with no differentiation between hemispheres. Participants navigating the robot showed stronger left-hand MI increases than those with the computer display. This is likely due to success being reliant on maintaining strong MI-related signals. While older participants showed stronger signals in early sessions, this trend later reversed, suggesting greater natural proficiency but reduced flexibility. These results demonstrate capacity for modulating neurofeedback using MI over a series of training sessions, using tasks of varied design. Importantly, the more goal-oriented robot control task resulted in greater improvements.
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Affiliation(s)
- S R McWhinney
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, 1355 Oxford Street, P.O. Box 15000, Halifax, NS, B3H 4R2, Canada.
| | - A Tremblay
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, 1355 Oxford Street, P.O. Box 15000, Halifax, NS, B3H 4R2, Canada.,Department of Linguistics, Saint Mary's University, 923 Robie Street, Halifax, NS, B3H 3C3, Canada.,NovaScape Data Analysis and Consulting, 18, Stonehaven Road, Halifax, NS, B3N 1G1, Canada
| | - S G Boe
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, 1355 Oxford Street, P.O. Box 15000, Halifax, NS, B3H 4R2, Canada.,School of Physiotherapy, Dalhousie University, 5869 University Avenue, Halifax, NS, B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - T Bardouille
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, 1355 Oxford Street, P.O. Box 15000, Halifax, NS, B3H 4R2, Canada.,School of Physiotherapy, Dalhousie University, 5869 University Avenue, Halifax, NS, B3H 4R2, Canada.,IWK Health Centre, Biomedical Translational Imaging Centre, 5850/5950 University Avenue, Halifax, NS, B3K 6R8, Canada
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22
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Liu X, Liu L, Hou F, Zhou Z, Wu Q, Li H. Altered gray matter volume and functional connectivity of the motor network in young divers. JOURNAL OF X-RAY SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 2017; 25:XST17305. [PMID: 28697581 DOI: 10.3233/xst-17305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Motor learning and professional sports training can induce plastic changes in brain structures that are associated with distinct training demands. OBJECTIVE To testify the hypothesis of that regional gray matter structures in the motor-related cortex and its functional connectivity (FC) are altered in young divers. METHODS We undertook T1-voxel-based morphometry (VBM) structural and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging in groups of diving athletes (DAs) and demographically-matched healthy controls. RESULTS Gray matter volume was lower in some regions in Das. By selecting the five most reduced regions, i.e. superior frontal gyrus, orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), insula, hippocampus, and cerebellum posterior lobe, as regions of interest (ROIs) for FC analysis, results showed that DAs had greater FC between the inferior temporal gyrus and superior frontal gyrus, OFC and cerebellum posterior lobe. Conversely, the divers had lesser FC between OFC and putamen, superior frontal gyrus and caudate. CONCLUSIONS VBM differences suggest that diving training entails more effective synaptic and/or neuronal pruning processes in motor structures. Indeed, cortical volumetric decreases in the DAs group are associated with increased FC among certain motor-related regions. We conclude that motor learning in adolescence alters brain structure in association with changes in FC between the relevant cortical and subcortical regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xia Liu
- Medical Imaging Center, The First Affiliated Clinical Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Liansheng Liu
- Department of Medical Imaging, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Fen Hou
- Medical Imaging Center, The First Affiliated Clinical Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhifeng Zhou
- Medical Imaging Center, The First Affiliated Clinical Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qingying Wu
- Sports Hospital, Ersha Sports Training Center of Guangdong Province, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hengguo Li
- Medical Imaging Center, The First Affiliated Clinical Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
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23
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Sale MV, Reid LB, Cocchi L, Pagnozzi AM, Rose SE, Mattingley JB. Brain changes following four weeks of unimanual motor training: Evidence from behavior, neural stimulation, cortical thickness, and functional MRI. Hum Brain Mapp 2017; 38:4773-4787. [PMID: 28677224 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.23710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2017] [Accepted: 06/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Although different aspects of neuroplasticity can be quantified with behavioral probes, brain stimulation, and brain imaging assessments, no study to date has combined all these approaches into one comprehensive assessment of brain plasticity. Here, 24 healthy right-handed participants practiced a sequence of finger-thumb opposition movements for 10 min each day with their left hand. After 4 weeks, performance for the practiced sequence improved significantly (P < 0.05 FWE) relative to a matched control sequence, with both the left (mean increase: 53.0% practiced, 6.5% control) and right (21.0%; 15.8%) hands. Training also induced significant (cluster p-FWE < 0.001) reductions in functional MRI activation for execution of the trained sequence, relative to the control sequence. These changes were observed as clusters in the premotor and supplementary motor cortices (right hemisphere, 301 voxel cluster; left hemisphere 700 voxel cluster), and sensorimotor cortices and superior parietal lobules (right hemisphere 864 voxel cluster; left hemisphere, 1947 voxel cluster). Transcranial magnetic stimulation over the right ("trained") primary motor cortex yielded a 58.6% mean increase in a measure of motor evoked potential amplitude, as recorded at the left abductor pollicis brevis muscle. Cortical thickness analyses based on structural MRI suggested changes in the right precentral gyrus, right post central gyrus, right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and potentially the right supplementary motor area. Such findings are consistent with LTP-like neuroplastic changes in areas that were already responsible for finger sequence execution, rather than improved recruitment of previously nonutilized tissue. Hum Brain Mapp 38:4773-4787, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin V Sale
- The Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, 4072, Australia.,School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, 4072, Australia
| | - Lee B Reid
- Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, The Australian e-Health Research Centre, CSIRO, Herston, Queensland, 4029, Australia.,School of Medicine, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Luca Cocchi
- The Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, 4072, Australia.,QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Queensland, 4006, Australia
| | - Alex M Pagnozzi
- Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, The Australian e-Health Research Centre, CSIRO, Herston, Queensland, 4029, Australia.,School of Medicine, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Stephen E Rose
- Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, The Australian e-Health Research Centre, CSIRO, Herston, Queensland, 4029, Australia
| | - Jason B Mattingley
- The Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, 4072, Australia.,School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, 4072, Australia
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24
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Increased functional connectivity one week after motor learning and tDCS in stroke patients. Neuroscience 2016; 340:424-435. [PMID: 27826107 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2016.10.066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2016] [Revised: 10/25/2016] [Accepted: 10/29/2016] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Recent studies using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) demonstrated that changes in functional connectivity (FC) after stroke correlate with recovery. The aim of this study was to explore whether combining motor learning to dual transcranial direct current stimulation (dual-tDCS, applied over both primary motor cortices (M1)) modulated FC in stroke patients. Twenty-two chronic hemiparetic stroke patients participated in a baseline rs-fMRI session. One week later, dual-tDCS/sham was applied during motor skill learning (intervention session); one week later, the retention session started with the acquisition of a run of rs-fMRI imaging. The intervention+retention sessions were performed once with dual-tDCS and once with sham in a randomized, cross-over, placebo-controlled, double-blind design. A whole-brain independent component analysis based analysis of variance (ANOVA) demonstrated no changes between baseline and sham sessions in the somatomotor network, whereas a FC increase was observed one week after dual-tDCS compared to baseline (qFDR <0.05, t63=4.15). A seed-based analysis confirmed specific stimulation-driven changes within a network of motor and premotor regions in both hemispheres. At baseline and one week after sham, the strongest FC was observed between the M1 and dorsal premotor cortex (PMd) of the undamaged hemisphere. In contrast, one week after dual-tDCS, the strongest FC was found between the M1 and PMd of the damaged hemisphere. Thus, a single session of dual-tDCS combined with motor skill learning increases FC in the somatomotor network of chronic stroke patients for one week.
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25
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Resting-state brain networks revealed by granger causal connectivity in frogs. Neuroscience 2016; 334:332-340. [PMID: 27530699 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2016.08.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2016] [Revised: 07/02/2016] [Accepted: 08/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Resting-state networks (RSNs) refer to the spontaneous brain activity generated under resting conditions, which maintain the dynamic connectivity of functional brain networks for automatic perception or higher order cognitive functions. Here, Granger causal connectivity analysis (GCCA) was used to explore brain RSNs in the music frog (Babina daunchina) during different behavioral activity phases. The results reveal that a causal network in the frog brain can be identified during the resting state which reflects both brain lateralization and sexual dimorphism. Specifically (1) ascending causal connections from the left mesencephalon to both sides of the telencephalon are significantly higher than those from the right mesencephalon, while the right telencephalon gives rise to the strongest efferent projections among all brain regions; (2) causal connections from the left mesencephalon in females are significantly higher than those in males and (3) these connections are similar during both the high and low behavioral activity phases in this species although almost all electroencephalograph (EEG) spectral bands showed higher power in the high activity phase for all nodes. The functional features of this network match important characteristics of auditory perception in this species. Thus we propose that this causal network maintains auditory perception during the resting state for unexpected auditory inputs as resting-state networks do in other species. These results are also consistent with the idea that females are more sensitive to auditory stimuli than males during the reproductive season. In addition, these results imply that even when not behaviorally active, the frogs remain vigilant for detecting external stimuli.
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26
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Mooney RA, Coxon JP, Cirillo J, Glenny H, Gant N, Byblow WD. Acute aerobic exercise modulates primary motor cortex inhibition. Exp Brain Res 2016; 234:3669-3676. [PMID: 27590480 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-016-4767-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2016] [Accepted: 08/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Aerobic exercise can enhance neuroplasticity although presently the neural mechanisms underpinning these benefits remain unclear. One possible mechanism is through effects on primary motor cortex (M1) function via down-regulation of the inhibitory neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). The aim of the present study was to examine how corticomotor excitability (CME) and M1 intracortical inhibition are modulated in response to a single bout of moderate intensity aerobic exercise. Ten healthy right-handed adults were participants. Single- and paired-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation was applied over left M1 to obtain motor-evoked potentials in the right flexor pollicis brevis. We examined CME, cortical silent period (SP) duration, short- and long-interval intracortical inhibition (SICI, LICI), and late cortical disinhibition (LCD), before and after acute aerobic exercise (exercise session) or an equivalent duration without exercise (control session). Aerobic exercise was performed on a cycle ergometer for 30 min at a workload equivalent to 60 % of maximal cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2 peak; heart rate reserve = 75 ± 3 %, perceived exertion = 13.5 ± 0.7). LICI was reduced at 10 (52 ± 17 %, P = 0.03) and 20 min (27 ± 8 %, P = 0.03) post-exercise compared to baseline (13 ± 4 %). No significant changes in CME, SP duration, SICI or LCD were observed. The present study shows that GABAB-mediated intracortical inhibition may be down-regulated after acute aerobic exercise. The potential effects this may have on M1 plasticity remain to be determined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronan A Mooney
- Movement Neuroscience Laboratory, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.,Centre for Brain Research, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - James P Coxon
- School of Psychological Sciences and Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Centre for Brain Research, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - John Cirillo
- Movement Neuroscience Laboratory, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.,Centre for Brain Research, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Helen Glenny
- Movement Neuroscience Laboratory, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.,Centre for Brain Research, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Nicholas Gant
- Exercise Neurometabolism Laboratory, Department of Exercise Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.,Centre for Brain Research, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Winston D Byblow
- Movement Neuroscience Laboratory, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand. .,Centre for Brain Research, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
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27
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Interpreting Intervention Induced Neuroplasticity with fMRI: The Case for Multimodal Imaging Strategies. Neural Plast 2015; 2016:2643491. [PMID: 26839711 PMCID: PMC4709757 DOI: 10.1155/2016/2643491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2015] [Accepted: 09/27/2015] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Direct measurement of recovery from brain injury is an important goal in neurorehabilitation, and requires reliable, objective, and interpretable measures of changes in brain function, referred to generally as “neuroplasticity.” One popular imaging modality for measuring neuroplasticity is task-based functional magnetic resonance imaging (t-fMRI). In the field of neurorehabilitation, however, assessing neuroplasticity using t-fMRI presents a significant challenge. This commentary reviews t-fMRI changes commonly reported in patients with cerebral palsy or acquired brain injuries, with a focus on studies of motor rehabilitation, and discusses complexities surrounding their interpretations. Specifically, we discuss the difficulties in interpreting t-fMRI changes in terms of their underlying causes, that is, differentiating whether they reflect genuine reorganisation, neurological restoration, compensation, use of preexisting redundancies, changes in strategy, or maladaptive processes. Furthermore, we discuss the impact of heterogeneous disease states and essential t-fMRI processing steps on the interpretability of activation patterns. To better understand therapy-induced neuroplastic changes, we suggest that researchers utilising t-fMRI consider concurrently acquiring information from an additional modality, to quantify, for example, haemodynamic differences or microstructural changes. We outline a variety of such supplementary measures for investigating brain reorganisation and discuss situations in which they may prove beneficial to the interpretation of t-fMRI data.
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28
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Flodin P, Martinsen S, Mannerkorpi K, Löfgren M, Bileviciute-Ljungar I, Kosek E, Fransson P. Normalization of aberrant resting state functional connectivity in fibromyalgia patients following a three month physical exercise therapy. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2015; 9:134-9. [PMID: 26413476 PMCID: PMC4556735 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2015.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2015] [Revised: 07/29/2015] [Accepted: 08/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Physical exercise is one of the most efficient interventions to mitigate chronic pain symptoms in fibromyalgia (FM). However, little is known about the neurophysiological mechanisms mediating these effects. In this study we investigated resting-state connectivity using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) before and after a 15 week standardized exercise program supervised by physical therapists. Our aim was to gain an understanding of how physical exercise influences previously shown aberrant patterns of intrinsic brain activity in FM. Fourteen FM patients and eleven healthy controls successfully completed the physical exercise treatment. We investigated post- versus pre-treatment changes of brain connectivity, as well as changes in clinical symptoms in the patient group. FM patients reported improvements in symptom severity. Although several brain regions showed a treatment-related change in connectivity, only the connectivity between the right anterior insula and the left primary sensorimotor area was significantly more affected by the physical exercise among the fibromyalgia patients compared to healthy controls. Our results suggest that previously observed aberrant intrinsic brain connectivity patterns in FM are partly normalized by the physical exercise therapy. However, none of the observed normalizations in intrinsic brain connectivity were significantly correlated with symptom changes. Further studies conducted in larger cohorts are warranted to investigate the precise relationship between improvements in fibromyalgia symptoms and changes in intrinsic brain activity. Physical exercise reduced the impact of fibromyalgia (FM) in everyday life. Longitudinal changes included restored insular-sensory functional connectivity. The links between connectivity and symptom improvements require further studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Flodin
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - S Martinsen
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - K Mannerkorpi
- Department of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, Gothenburg University, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - M Löfgren
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Danderyd Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - I Bileviciute-Ljungar
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Danderyd Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - E Kosek
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - P Fransson
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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van Dam WO, Decker SL, Durbin JS, Vendemia JMC, Desai RH. Resting state signatures of domain and demand-specific working memory performance. Neuroimage 2015; 118:174-82. [PMID: 25980975 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2015.05.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2014] [Revised: 05/06/2015] [Accepted: 05/07/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Working memory (WM) is one of the key constructs in understanding higher-level cognition. We examined whether patterns of activity in the resting state of individual subjects are correlated with their off-line working and short-term memory capabilities. Participants completed a resting-state fMRI scan and off-line working and short-term memory (STM) tests with both verbal and visual materials. We calculated fractional amplitude of low frequency fluctuations (fALFF) from the resting state data, and also computed connectivity between seeds placed in frontal and parietal lobes. Correlating fALFF values with behavioral measures showed that the fALFF values in a widespread fronto-parietal network during rest were positively correlated with a combined memory measure. In addition, STM showed a significant correlation with fALFF within the right angular gyrus and left middle occipital gyrus, whereas WM was correlated with fALFF values within the right IPS and left dorsomedial cerebellar cortex. Furthermore, verbal and visuospatial memory capacities were associated with dissociable patterns of low-frequency fluctuations. Seed-based connectivity showed correlations with the verbal WM measure in the left hemisphere, and with the visual WM measure in the right hemisphere. These findings contribute to our understanding of how differences in spontaneous low-frequency fluctuations at rest are correlated with differences in cognitive performance.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Scott L Decker
- Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, USA
| | | | | | - Rutvik H Desai
- Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, USA.
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30
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Learning-induced autonomy of sensorimotor systems. Nat Neurosci 2015; 18:744-51. [PMID: 25849989 DOI: 10.1038/nn.3993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 362] [Impact Index Per Article: 40.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2014] [Accepted: 03/11/2015] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Distributed networks of brain areas interact with one another in a time-varying fashion to enable complex cognitive and sensorimotor functions. Here we used new network-analysis algorithms to test the recruitment and integration of large-scale functional neural circuitry during learning. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging data acquired from healthy human participants, we investigated changes in the architecture of functional connectivity patterns that promote learning from initial training through mastery of a simple motor skill. Our results show that learning induces an autonomy of sensorimotor systems and that the release of cognitive control hubs in frontal and cingulate cortices predicts individual differences in the rate of learning on other days of practice. Our general statistical approach is applicable across other cognitive domains and provides a key to understanding time-resolved interactions between distributed neural circuits that enable task performance.
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31
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Dong M, Li J, Shi X, Gao S, Fu S, Liu Z, Liang F, Gong Q, Shi G, Tian J. Altered baseline brain activity in experts measured by amplitude of low frequency fluctuations (ALFF): a resting state fMRI study using expertise model of acupuncturists. Front Hum Neurosci 2015; 9:99. [PMID: 25852511 PMCID: PMC4365689 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2015.00099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2014] [Accepted: 02/09/2015] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
It is well established that expertise modulates evoked brain activity in response to specific stimuli. Recently, researchers have begun to investigate how expertise influences the resting brain. Among these studies, most focused on the connectivity features within/across regions, i.e., connectivity patterns/strength. However, little concern has been given to a more fundamental issue whether or not expertise modulates baseline brain activity. We investigated this question using amplitude of low-frequency (<0.08 Hz) fluctuation (ALFF) as the metric of brain activity and a novel expertise model, i.e., acupuncturists, due to their robust proficiency in tactile perception and emotion regulation. After the psychophysical and behavioral expertise screening procedure, 23 acupuncturists and 23 matched non-acupuncturists (NA) were enrolled. Our results explicated higher ALFF for acupuncturists in the left ventral medial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC) and the contralateral hand representation of the primary somatosensory area (SI) (corrected for multiple comparisons). Additionally, ALFF of VMPFC was negatively correlated with the outcomes of the emotion regulation task (corrected for multiple comparisons). We suggest that our study may reveal a novel connection between the neuroplasticity mechanism and resting state activity, which would upgrade our understanding of the central mechanism of learning. Furthermore, by showing that expertise can affect the baseline brain activity as indicated by ALFF, our findings may have profound implication for functional neuroimaging studies especially those involving expert models, in that difference in baseline brain activity may either smear the spatial pattern of activations for task data or introduce biased results into connectivity-based analysis for resting data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minghao Dong
- Engineering Research Center of Molecular and Neuro Imaging of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University Xi'an, SAA, China ; School of Electronic Engineering, Xidian University Xi'an, SAA, China
| | - Jun Li
- Engineering Research Center of Molecular and Neuro Imaging of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University Xi'an, SAA, China
| | - Xinfa Shi
- School of Electronic Engineering, Xidian University Xi'an, SAA, China
| | - Shudan Gao
- Engineering Research Center of Molecular and Neuro Imaging of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University Xi'an, SAA, China
| | - Shijun Fu
- School of Electronic Engineering, Xidian University Xi'an, SAA, China
| | - Zongquan Liu
- School of Electronic Engineering, Xidian University Xi'an, SAA, China
| | - Fanrong Liang
- The 3rd Teaching Hospital, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine Chengdu, SC, China
| | - Qiyong Gong
- Department of Radiology, Huaxi MR Research Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University Chengdu, China
| | - Guangming Shi
- School of Electronic Engineering, Xidian University Xi'an, SAA, China
| | - Jie Tian
- Engineering Research Center of Molecular and Neuro Imaging of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University Xi'an, SAA, China ; School of Electronic Engineering, Xidian University Xi'an, SAA, China ; Intelligent Medical Research Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing, China
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Ge R, Zhang H, Yao L, Long Z. Motor Imagery Learning Induced Changes in Functional Connectivity of the Default Mode Network. IEEE Trans Neural Syst Rehabil Eng 2015; 23:138-48. [PMID: 25014958 DOI: 10.1109/tnsre.2014.2332353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Gerretsen P, Menon M, Mamo DC, Fervaha G, Remington G, Pollock BG, Graff-Guerrero A. Impaired insight into illness and cognitive insight in schizophrenia spectrum disorders: resting state functional connectivity. Schizophr Res 2014; 160:43-50. [PMID: 25458571 PMCID: PMC4429527 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2014.10.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2014] [Revised: 10/10/2014] [Accepted: 10/14/2014] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Impaired insight into illness (clinical insight) in schizophrenia has negative effects on treatment adherence and clinical outcomes. Schizophrenia is described as a disorder of disrupted brain connectivity. In line with this concept, resting state networks (RSNs) appear differentially affected in persons with schizophrenia. Therefore, impaired clinical, or the related construct of cognitive insight (which posits that impaired clinical insight is a function of metacognitive deficits), may reflect alterations in RSN functional connectivity (fc). Based on our previous research, which showed that impaired insight into illness was associated with increased left hemisphere volume relative to right, we hypothesized that impaired clinical insight would be associated with increased connectivity in the DMN with specific left hemisphere brain regions. METHODS Resting state MRI scans were acquired for participants with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder (n=20). Seed-to-voxel and ROI-to-ROI fc analyses were performed using the CONN-fMRI fc toolbox v13 for established RSNs. Clinical and cognitive insight were measured with the Schedule for the Assessment of Insight-Expanded Version and Beck Cognitive Insight Scale, respectively, and included as the regressors in fc analyses. RESULTS As hypothesized, impaired clinical insight was associated with increased connectivity in the default mode network (DMN) with the left angular gyrus, and also in the self-referential network (SRN) with the left insula. Cognitive insight was associated with increased connectivity in the dorsal attention network (DAN) with the right inferior frontal cortex (IFC) and left anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). CONCLUSION Increased connectivity in DMN and SRN with the left angular gyrus and insula, respectively, may represent neural correlates of impaired clinical insight in schizophrenia spectrum disorders, and is consistent with the literature attributing impaired insight to left hemisphere dominance. Increased connectivity in the DAN with the IFC and ACC in relation to cognitive insight may facilitate enhanced mental flexibility in this sample.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip Gerretsen
- Multimodal Imaging Group, Research Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction & Mental Health, Canada,Geriatric Mental Health Program, Centre for Addiction & Mental Health, Canada,Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Canada,Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mahesh Menon
- Multimodal Imaging Group, Research Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction & Mental Health, Canada,Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Canada
| | - David C. Mamo
- Multimodal Imaging Group, Research Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction & Mental Health, Canada,Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Canada,Department of Psychiatry, Faculties of Medicine and Health Science, University of Malta, Msida, Malta
| | - Gagan Fervaha
- Schizophrenia Program, Centre for Addiction & Mental Health, Canada,Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Gary Remington
- Schizophrenia Program, Centre for Addiction & Mental Health, Canada,Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Canada,Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction & Mental Health, Canada,Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Bruce G. Pollock
- Geriatric Mental Health Program, Centre for Addiction & Mental Health, Canada,Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Canada,Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction & Mental Health, Canada,Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ariel Graff-Guerrero
- Multimodal Imaging Group, Research Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction & Mental Health, Canada; Geriatric Mental Health Program, Centre for Addiction & Mental Health, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Canada; Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction & Mental Health, Canada; Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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34
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Wolf S, Brölz E, Scholz D, Ramos-Murguialday A, Keune PM, Hautzinger M, Birbaumer N, Strehl U. Winning the game: brain processes in expert, young elite and amateur table tennis players. Front Behav Neurosci 2014; 8:370. [PMID: 25386126 PMCID: PMC4209814 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2014.00370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2014] [Accepted: 10/08/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
This study tested two hypotheses: (1) compared with amateurs and young elite, expert table tennis players are characterized by enhanced cortical activation in the motor and fronto-parietal cortex during motor imagery in response to table tennis videos; (2) in elite athletes, world rank points are associated with stronger cortical activation. To this aim, electroencephalographic data were recorded in 14 expert, 15 amateur and 15 young elite right-handed table tennis players. All subjects watched videos of a serve and imagined themselves responding with a specific table tennis stroke. With reference to a baseline period, power decrease/increase of the sensorimotor rhythm (SMR) during the pretask- and task period indexed the cortical activation/deactivation (event-related desynchronization/synchronization, ERD/ERS). Regarding hypothesis (1), 8–10 Hz SMR ERD was stronger in elite athletes than in amateurs with an intermediate ERD in young elite athletes in the motor cortex. Regarding hypothesis (2), there was no correlation between ERD/ERS in the motor cortex and world rank points in elite experts, but a weaker ERD in the fronto-parietal cortex was associated with higher world rank points. These results suggest that motor skill in table tennis is associated with focused excitability of the motor cortex during reaction, movement planning and execution with high attentional demands. Among elite experts, less activation of the fronto-parietal attention network may be necessary to become a world champion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Wolf
- Faculty of Science, Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Tuebingen Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Ellen Brölz
- Department of Internal Medicine VI: Psychosomatic Medicine, University Hospital Tuebingen Tuebingen, Germany
| | - David Scholz
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Tuebingen Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Ander Ramos-Murguialday
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Tuebingen Tuebingen, Germany ; TECNALIA, Health-Technologies San Sebastian, Spain
| | - Philipp M Keune
- Department of Neurology, Klinikum Bayreuth Bayreuth, Germany ; Department of Physiological Psychology, Otto-Friedrich-University Bamberg, Germany
| | - Martin Hautzinger
- Faculty of Science, Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Tuebingen Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Niels Birbaumer
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Tuebingen Tuebingen, Germany ; Ospedale San Camillo, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Venice, Italy ; German Center for Diabetes Research Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Ute Strehl
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Tuebingen Tuebingen, Germany
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35
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Wymbs NF, Grafton ST. The Human Motor System Supports Sequence-Specific Representations over Multiple Training-Dependent Timescales. Cereb Cortex 2014; 25:4213-25. [PMID: 24969473 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhu144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Motor sequence learning is associated with increasing and decreasing motor system activity. Here, we ask whether sequence-specific activity is contingent upon the time interval and absolute amount of training over which the skill is acquired. We hypothesize that within each motor region, the strength of any sequence representation is a non-linear function that can be characterized by 3 timescales. We had subjects train for 6 weeks and measured brain activity with functional magnetic resonance imaging. We used repetition suppression (RS) to isolate sequence-specific representations while controlling for effects related to kinematics and general task familiarity. Following a baseline training session, primary and secondary motor regions demonstrated rapidly increasing RS. With continued training, there was evidence for skill-specific efficiency, characterized by a dramatic decrease in motor system RS. In contrast, after performance had reached a plateau, further training led to a pattern of slowly increasing RS in the contralateral sensorimotor cortex, supplementary motor area, ventral premotor cortex, and anterior cerebellum consistent with skill-specific specialization. Importantly, many motor areas show changes involving more than 1 of these 3 timescales, underscoring the capacity of the motor system to flexibly represent a sequence based on the amount of prior experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas F Wymbs
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Johns Hopkins Medical Institution, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Scott T Grafton
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California at Santa Barbara (UCSB), Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9660, USA
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36
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Banks GP, Mikell CB, Mckhann GM. Practice Makes Efficient. Neurosurgery 2014; 74:N12-4. [DOI: 10.1227/01.neu.0000445334.50327.11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
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Motor imagery learning modulates functional connectivity of multiple brain systems in resting state. PLoS One 2014; 9:e85489. [PMID: 24465577 PMCID: PMC3894973 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0085489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2013] [Accepted: 11/27/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Learning motor skills involves subsequent modulation of resting-state functional connectivity in the sensory-motor system. This idea was mostly derived from the investigations on motor execution learning which mainly recruits the processing of sensory-motor information. Behavioral evidences demonstrated that motor skills in our daily lives could be learned through imagery procedures. However, it remains unclear whether the modulation of resting-state functional connectivity also exists in the sensory-motor system after motor imagery learning. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS We performed a fMRI investigation on motor imagery learning from resting state. Based on previous studies, we identified eight sensory and cognitive resting-state networks (RSNs) corresponding to the brain systems and further explored the functional connectivity of these RSNs through the assessments, connectivity and network strengths before and after the two-week consecutive learning. Two intriguing results were revealed: (1) The sensory RSNs, specifically sensory-motor and lateral visual networks exhibited greater connectivity strengths in precuneus and fusiform gyrus after learning; (2) Decreased network strength induced by learning was proved in the default mode network, a cognitive RSN. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE These results indicated that resting-state functional connectivity could be modulated by motor imagery learning in multiple brain systems, and such modulation displayed in the sensory-motor, visual and default brain systems may be associated with the establishment of motor schema and the regulation of introspective thought. These findings further revealed the neural substrates underlying motor skill learning and potentially provided new insights into the therapeutic benefits of motor imagery learning.
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38
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Structural and functional brain changes related to different types of physical activity across the life span. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2013; 37:2268-95. [PMID: 23399048 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2013.01.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 239] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2012] [Revised: 12/28/2012] [Accepted: 01/30/2013] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
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Picard N, Matsuzaka Y, Strick PL. Extended practice of a motor skill is associated with reduced metabolic activity in M1. Nat Neurosci 2013; 16:1340-7. [PMID: 23912947 PMCID: PMC3757119 DOI: 10.1038/nn.3477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2013] [Accepted: 06/26/2013] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
How does long-term training and the development of motor skill modify the activity of the primary motor cortex (M1)? To address this issue we trained monkeys for ~1–6 years to perform visually-guided and internally-generated sequences of reaching movements. Then, we used 14C-2-deoxyglucose (2DG) uptake and single neuron recording to measure metabolic and neuron activity in M1. After extended practice, we observed a profound reduction of metabolic activity in M1 for the performance of internally-generated compared to visually-guided tasks. In contrast, measures of neuron firing displayed little difference during the two tasks. These findings suggest that the development of skill through extended practice results in a reduction in the synaptic activity required to produce internally-generated, but not visually-guided sequences of movements. Thus, practice leading to skilled performance results in more efficient generation of neuronal activity in M1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathalie Picard
- Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition and Systems Neuroscience Institute, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
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40
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Narayana S, Zhang W, Rogers W, Strickland C, Franklin C, Lancaster JL, Fox PT. Concurrent TMS to the primary motor cortex augments slow motor learning. Neuroimage 2013; 85 Pt 3:971-84. [PMID: 23867557 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2013.07.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2013] [Revised: 07/01/2013] [Accepted: 07/06/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) has shown promise as a treatment tool, with one FDA approved use. While TMS alone is able to up- (or down-) regulate a targeted neural system, we argue that TMS applied as an adjuvant is more effective for repetitive physical, behavioral and cognitive therapies, that is, therapies which are designed to alter the network properties of neural systems through Hebbian learning. We tested this hypothesis in the context of a slow motor learning paradigm. Healthy right-handed individuals were assigned to receive 5 Hz TMS (TMS group) or sham TMS (sham group) to the right primary motor cortex (M1) as they performed daily motor practice of a digit sequence task with their non-dominant hand for 4 weeks. Resting cerebral blood flow (CBF) was measured by H2(15)O PET at baseline and after 4 weeks of practice. Sequence performance was measured daily as the number of correct sequences performed, and modeled using a hyperbolic function. Sequence performance increased significantly at 4 weeks relative to baseline in both groups. The TMS group had a significant additional improvement in performance, specifically, in the rate of skill acquisition. In both groups, an improvement in sequence timing and transfer of skills to non-trained motor domains was also found. Compared to the sham group, the TMS group demonstrated increases in resting CBF specifically in regions known to mediate skill learning namely, the M1, cingulate cortex, putamen, hippocampus, and cerebellum. These results indicate that TMS applied concomitantly augments behavioral effects of motor practice, with corresponding neural plasticity in motor sequence learning network. These findings are the first demonstration of the behavioral and neural enhancing effects of TMS on slow motor practice and have direct application in neurorehabilitation where TMS could be applied in conjunction with physical therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shalini Narayana
- Division of Clinical Neurosciences, Department of Pediatrics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA; Neuroscience Institute, Le Bonheur Children's Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA; Research Imaging Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA.
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41
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Palmer HS, Håberg AK, Fimland MS, Solstad GM, Moe Iversen V, Hoff J, Helgerud J, Eikenes L. Structural brain changes after 4 wk of unilateral strength training of the lower limb. J Appl Physiol (1985) 2013; 115:167-75. [DOI: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00277.2012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Strength training enhances muscular strength and neural drive, but the underlying neuronal mechanisms remain unclear. This study used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to identify possible changes in corticospinal tract (CST) microstructure, cortical activation, and subcortical structure volumes following unilateral strength training of the plantar flexors. Mechanisms underlying cross-education of strength in the untrained leg were also investigated. Young, healthy adult volunteers were assigned to training ( n = 12) or control ( n = 9) groups. The 4 wk of training consisted of 16 sessions of 36 unilateral isometric plantar flexions. Maximum voluntary isometric contraction torque was tested pre- and posttraining. MRI investigation included a T1-weighted scan, diffusion tensor imaging and functional MRI. Probabilistic fiber tracking of the CST was performed on the diffusion tensor imaging images using a two-regions-of-interest approach. Fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity were calculated for the left and right CST in each individual before and after training. Standard functional MRI analyses and volumetric analyses of subcortical structures were also performed. Maximum voluntary isometric contraction significantly increased in both the trained and untrained legs of the training group, but not the control group. A significant decrease in mean diffusivity was found in the left CST following strength training of the right leg. No significant changes were detected in the right CST. No significant changes in cortical activation were observed following training. A significant reduction in left putamen volume was found after training. This study provides the first evidence for strength training-related changes in white matter and putamen in the healthy adult brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- H. S. Palmer
- MI-Lab, Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - A. K. Håberg
- Department of Medical Imaging, St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim, Norway
- Department of Neuroscience, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - M. S. Fimland
- MI-Lab, Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - G. M. Solstad
- MI-Lab, Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - V. Moe Iversen
- MI-Lab, Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - J. Hoff
- MI-Lab, Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim, Norway
| | - J. Helgerud
- MI-Lab, Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
- Hokksund Medical Rehabilitation Centre, Hokksund, Norway; and
- Department of Sports and Outdoor Life Studies, Telemark University College, Bø, Norway
| | - L. Eikenes
- MI-Lab, Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
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Wiestler T, Diedrichsen J. Skill learning strengthens cortical representations of motor sequences. eLife 2013; 2:e00801. [PMID: 23853714 PMCID: PMC3707182 DOI: 10.7554/elife.00801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 118] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2013] [Accepted: 06/05/2013] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Motor-skill learning can be accompanied by both increases and decreases in brain activity. Increases may indicate neural recruitment, while decreases may imply that a region became unimportant or developed a more efficient representation of the skill. These overlapping mechanisms make interpreting learning-related changes of spatially averaged activity difficult. Here we show that motor-skill acquisition is associated with the emergence of highly distinguishable activity patterns for trained movement sequences, in the absence of average activity increases. During functional magnetic resonance imaging, participants produced either four trained or four untrained finger sequences. Using multivariate pattern analysis, both untrained and trained sequences could be discriminated in primary and secondary motor areas. However, trained sequences were classified more reliably, especially in the supplementary motor area. Our results indicate skill learning leads to the development of specialized neuronal circuits, which allow the execution of fast and accurate sequential movements without average increases in brain activity. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.00801.001 Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is a widely used technique that makes it possible to observe changes in a person’s brain activity as they perform specific tasks while lying in a scanner. These could range from listening to music or looking at images, to recalling words or imagining a scene, and each will produce a distinct pattern of neural activity. However, fMRI data can be difficult to interpret. Say a particular area of the brain is very active when a subject is trying to perform a new task, but becomes less active as the subject becomes better at the task and performs it more easily. Does this mean that the brain region is used for learning the task, but not for performing once it has been learned? Or alternatively, does it show that the brain area is involved in carrying out the task, but that it becomes more efficient with practice, and so shows less activity in later scans? Now, Wiestler and Diedrichsen have obtained data that help to distinguish between these alternatives. Subjects were trained to carry out four specific sequences of finger movements and then asked either to reproduce these ‘trained’ sequences or to perform four ‘untrained’ sequences while in the fMRI scanner. All eight sequences produced high levels of activity in the areas of motor cortex that control finger movements. However, closer analysis showed marked differences between the patterns of activity produced during the ‘trained’ sequences and those seen during ‘untrained’ sequences that involved moving the same fingers. Wiestler and Diedrichsen proposed that when subjects train to perform specific movement sequences, this should lead to the development of neural circuits that are specialized to carry out those specific movements—and that detailed analysis of the fMRI data would allow them to identify patterns of activity that correspond to these circuits. Sure enough, when they analysed the fMRI scans, Wiestler and Diedrichsen found that the activation patterns associated with ‘trained’ movement sequences were more readily distinguishable from each other than those associated with the ‘untrained’ movement sequences, even in areas where training led to an overall reduction in activity. As well as showing that movement sequences become associated with specific spatial patterns of activation as they are learned, this study provides a new way to study learning in fMRI that should be useful for many future studies. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.00801.002
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Wiestler
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience , University College London , London , United Kingdom
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Dong M, Qin W, Zhao L, Yang X, Yuan K, Zeng F, Sun J, Yu D, von Deneen KM, Liang F, Tian J. Expertise modulates local regional homogeneity of spontaneous brain activity in the resting brain: an fMRI study using the model of skilled acupuncturists. Hum Brain Mapp 2013; 35:1074-84. [PMID: 23633412 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.22235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2012] [Revised: 10/29/2012] [Accepted: 11/07/2012] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies on training/expertise-related effects on human brain in context of neuroplasticity have revealed that plastic changes modulate not only task activations but also patterns and strength of internetworks and intranetworks functional connectivity in the resting state. Much has known about plastic changes in resting state on global level; however, how training/expertise-related effect affects patterns of local spontaneous activity in resting brain remains elusive. We investigated the homogeneity of local blood oxygen level-dependent fluctuations in the resting state using a regional homogeneity (ReHo) analysis among 16 acupuncturists and 16 matched nonacupuncturists (NA). To prove acupuncturists' expertise, we used a series of psychophysical tests. Our results demonstrated that, acupuncturists significantly outperformed NA in tactile-motor and emotional regulation domain and the acupuncturist group showed increased coherence in local BOLD signal fluctuations in the left primary motor cortex (MI), the left primary somatosensory cortex (SI) and the left ventral medial prefrontal cortex/orbitofrontal cortex (VMPFC/OFC). Regression analysis displayed that, in the acupuncturists group, ReHo of VMPFC/OFC could predict behavioral outcomes, evidenced by negative correlation between unpleasantness ratings and ReHo of VMPFC/OFC and ReHo of SI and MI positively correlated with the duration of acupuncture practice. We suggest that expertise could modulate patterns of local resting state activity by increasing regional clustering strength, which is likely to contribute to advanced local information processing efficiency. Our study completes the understanding of neuroplasticity changes by adding the evidence of local resting state activity alterations, which is helpful for elucidating in what manner training effect extends beyond resting state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minghao Dong
- School of Life Sciences and Technology, Xidian University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
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Yoo K, Sohn WS, Jeong Y. Tool-use practice induces changes in intrinsic functional connectivity of parietal areas. Front Hum Neurosci 2013; 7:49. [PMID: 23550165 PMCID: PMC3582314 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2013.00049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2012] [Accepted: 02/05/2013] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Intrinsic functional connectivity from resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI) has increasingly received attention as a possible predictor of cognitive function and performance. In this study, we investigated the influence of practicing skillful tool manipulation on intrinsic functional connectivity in the resting brain. Acquisition of tool-use skill has two aspects such as formation of motor representation for skillful manipulation and acquisition of the tool concept. To dissociate these two processes, we chose chopsticks-handling with the non-dominant hand. Because participants were already adept at chopsticks-handling with their dominant hand, practice with the non-dominant hand involved only acquiring the skill for tool manipulation with existing knowledge. Eight young participants practiced chopsticks-handling with their non-dominant hand for 8 weeks. They underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) sessions before and after the practice. As a result, functional connectivity among tool-use-related regions of the brain decreased after practice. We found decreased functional connectivity centered on parietal areas, mainly the supramarginal gyrus (SMG) and superior parietal lobule (SPL) and additionally between the primary sensorimotor area and cerebellum. These results suggest that the parietal lobe and cerebellum purely mediate motor learning for skillful tool-use. This decreased functional connectivity may represent increased efficiency of functional network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kwangsun Yoo
- Laboratory for Cognitive Neuroscience and NeuroImaging, Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology Daejeon, South Korea
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Di X, Zhu S, Jin H, Wang P, Ye Z, Zhou K, Zhuo Y, Rao H. Altered resting brain function and structure in professional badminton players. Brain Connect 2013; 2:225-33. [PMID: 22840241 DOI: 10.1089/brain.2011.0050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuroimaging studies of professional athletic or musical training have demonstrated considerable practice-dependent plasticity in various brain structures, which may reflect distinct training demands. In the present study, structural and functional brain alterations were examined in professional badminton players and compared with healthy controls using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and resting-state functional MRI. Gray matter concentration (GMC) was assessed using voxel-based morphometry (VBM), and resting-brain functions were measured by amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) and seed-based functional connectivity. Results showed that the athlete group had greater GMC and ALFF in the right and medial cerebellar regions, respectively. The athlete group also demonstrated smaller ALFF in the left superior parietal lobule and altered functional connectivity between the left superior parietal and frontal regions. These findings indicate that badminton expertise is associated with not only plastic structural changes in terms of enlarged gray matter density in the cerebellum, but also functional alterations in fronto-parietal connectivity. Such structural and functional alterations may reflect specific experiences of badminton training and practice, including high-capacity visuo-spatial processing and hand-eye coordination in addition to refined motor skills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Di
- Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
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Huang Y, Zhen Z, Song Y, Zhu Q, Wang S, Liu J. Motor training increases the stability of activation patterns in the primary motor cortex. PLoS One 2013; 8:e53555. [PMID: 23308252 PMCID: PMC3538534 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0053555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2012] [Accepted: 11/29/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Learning to be skillful is an endowed talent of humans, but neural mechanisms underlying behavioral improvement remain largely unknown. Some studies have reported that the mean magnitude of neural activation is increased after learning, whereas others have instead shown decreased activation. In this study, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate learning-induced changes in the neural activation in the human brain with a classic motor training task. Specifically, instead of comparing the mean magnitudes of activation before and after training, we analyzed the learning-induced changes in multi-voxel spatial patterns of neural activation. We observed that the stability of the activation patterns, or the similarity of the activation patterns between the even and odd runs of the fMRI scans, was significantly increased in the primary motor cortex (M1) after training. By contrast, the mean magnitude of neural activation remained unchanged. Therefore, our study suggests that learning shapes the brain by increasing the stability of the activation patterns, therefore providing a new perspective in understanding the neural mechanisms underlying learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Zonglei Zhen
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Yiying Song
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Qi Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Song Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Jia Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- * E-mail:
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Patel R, Spreng RN, Turner GR. Functional Brain Changes Following Cognitive and Motor Skills Training. Neurorehabil Neural Repair 2012; 27:187-99. [DOI: 10.1177/1545968312461718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Background. Functional neuroimaging is increasingly used in rehabilitation research to map the neural mechanisms subserving training targets. These data can inform intervention design and improve evaluation of treatment outcomes. Reliable neural markers may provide standard metrics of treatment impact and allow consideration of behavioral outcomes in the context of functional brain changes. Objective. To identify common patterns of functional brain changes associated with training across a diverse range of intervention protocols. Reliable brain changes could inform development of candidate neural markers to guide intervention research. Methods. Taking a quantitative meta-analytic approach, we review the functional neuroimaging studies of cognitive and motor skills training interventions in healthy young adults (N = 38). Results. Reliable decreases in functional brain activity from pretraining to posttraining were observed in brain regions commonly associated with cognitive control processes, including lateral prefrontal, left anterior inferior parietal lobule, and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex. Training-related increases were observed in the medial prefrontal cortex and posterior cingulate and angular gyrus, core regions of the default network. Activity within the subcortical striatum also showed reliable increases pretraining to posttraining. Conclusions. These data suggest that altered engagement of large-scale, spatially distributed cortical brain networks and subcortical striatal brain regions may serve as candidate neural markers of training interventions. The development of reliable metrics based on activity and functional connectivity among large-scale brain networks may prove fruitful in identifying interactions between domain-general and -specific changes in brain activity that affect behavioral outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Gary R. Turner
- York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada
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Abstract
Recent years have seen significant progress in our understanding of the neural substrates of motor skill learning. Advances in neuroimaging provide new insight into functional reorganization associated with the acquisition, consolidation, and retention of motor skills. Plastic changes involving structural reorganization in gray and white matter architecture that occur over shorter time periods than previously thought have been documented as well. Data from experimental animals provided crucial information on plausible cellular and molecular substrates contributing to brain reorganization underlying skill acquisition in humans. Here, we review findings demonstrating functional and structural plasticity across different spatial and temporal scales that mediate motor skill learning while identifying converging areas of interest and possible avenues for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eran Dayan
- Human Cortical Physiology and Stroke Neurorehabilitation Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIH, 10 Center Drive MSC 1428, Bethesda, MD 20892-1428, USA
| | - Leonardo G. Cohen
- Human Cortical Physiology and Stroke Neurorehabilitation Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIH, 10 Center Drive MSC 1428, Bethesda, MD 20892-1428, USA
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Persad LAB. Energy drinks and the neurophysiological impact of caffeine. Front Neurosci 2011; 5:116. [PMID: 22025909 PMCID: PMC3198027 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2011.00116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2011] [Accepted: 09/12/2011] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Caffeine is the most widely used psychoactive stimulant with prevalent use across all age groups. It is a naturally occurring substance found in the coffee bean, tea leaf, the kola nut, cocoa bean. Recently there has been an increase in energy drink consumption leading to caffeine abuse, with aggressive marketing and poor awareness on the consequences of high caffeine use. With caffeine consumption being so common, it is vital to know the impact caffeine has on the body, as its effects can influence cardio-respiratory, endocrine, and perhaps most importantly neurological systems. Detrimental effects have being described especially since an over consumption of caffeine has being noted. This review focuses on the neurophysiological impact of caffeine and its biochemical pathways in the human body.
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Brockmann K, Gröger A, Di Santo A, Liepelt I, Schulte C, Klose U, Maetzler W, Hauser AK, Hilker R, Gomez-Mancilla B, Berg D, Gasser T. Clinical and brain imaging characteristics in leucine-rich repeat kinase 2-associated PD and asymptomatic mutation carriers. Mov Disord 2011; 26:2335-42. [PMID: 21989859 DOI: 10.1002/mds.23991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2010] [Revised: 08/13/2011] [Accepted: 08/29/2011] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The objective of this research was to evaluate a possible endophenotype in leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2)-associated Parkinson's disease (PD). Ten symptomatic LRRK2 patients, 24 sporadic Parkinson's disease patients as well as 10 asymptomatic LRRK2 mutation carriers and 29 matched healthy controls underwent comprehensive clinical assessments with respect to motor and non-motor symptoms. Transcranial sonography and magnetic resonance imaging (voxel-based morphometry [VBM]) were assessed to evaluate morphological imaging characteristics. LRRK2 patients had an earlier onset of motor symptoms and a more benign phenotype of motor and non-motor characteristics compared to sporadic Parkinson's disease patients. However, depression scores were higher in LRRK2 patients. No clinical differences were found regarding motor and non-motor symptoms in asymptomatic LRRK2 mutation carriers in comparison to controls. Transcranial sonography showed hyperechogenicity of the substantia nigra in both patients' cohorts as well as in asymptomatic LRRK2 mutation carriers. Voxel-based morphometry revealed increased gray matter volume of the cerebellum and precentral gyrus in LRRK2 patients and of the cuneus in asymptomatic LRRK2 mutation carriers. In contrast, we found decreased basal ganglia gray matter volume in LRRK2 patients compared to controls. Increased gray matter volume of different anatomical structures associated with motor loops in LRRK2 patients and asymptomatic LRRK2 mutation carriers compared to age-matched sporadic Parkinson's disease patients and controls might indicate compensatory mechanism in LRRK2 mutation carriers due to motor network plasticity not only in the symptomatic stage of the disease but even in the premotor phase. Substantia nigra hyperechogenicity in yet unaffected LRRK2 mutation carriers indicates morphologic alterations in an asymptomatic stage of disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathrin Brockmann
- Department of Neurodegenerative Diseases and Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
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