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Taubert M, Ziegler G, Lehmann N. Higher surface folding of the human premotor cortex is associated with better long-term learning capability. Commun Biol 2024; 7:635. [PMID: 38796622 PMCID: PMC11127997 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06309-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The capacity to learn enabled the human species to adapt to various challenging environmental conditions and pass important achievements on to the next generation. A growing body of research suggests links between neocortical folding properties and numerous aspects of human behavior, but their impact on enhanced human learning capacity remains unexplored. Here we leverage three training cohorts to demonstrate that higher levels of premotor cortical folding reliably predict individual long-term learning gains in a challenging new motor task, above and beyond initial performance differences. Individual folding-related predisposition to motor learning was found to be independent of cortical thickness and intracortical microstructure, but dependent on larger cortical surface area in premotor regions. We further show that learning-relevant features of cortical folding occurred in close spatial proximity to practice-induced structural brain plasticity. Our results suggest a link between neocortical surface folding and human behavioral adaptability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Taubert
- Department of Sport Science, Institute III, Faculty of Humanities, Otto von Guericke University, Zschokkestraße 32, 39104, Magdeburg, Germany.
- Center for Behavioral and Brain Science (CBBS), Otto von Guericke University, Universitätsplatz 2, 39106, Magdeburg, Germany.
- Collaborative Research Center 1436 Neural Resources of Cognition, Otto von Guericke University, Leipziger Str. 44, 39120, Magdeburg, Germany.
| | - Gabriel Ziegler
- Collaborative Research Center 1436 Neural Resources of Cognition, Otto von Guericke University, Leipziger Str. 44, 39120, Magdeburg, Germany
- Germany German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Leipziger Straße 44, 39120, Magdeburg, Germany
- Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research, Otto von Guericke University, Leipziger Str. 44, 39120, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Nico Lehmann
- Department of Sport Science, Institute III, Faculty of Humanities, Otto von Guericke University, Zschokkestraße 32, 39104, Magdeburg, Germany
- Collaborative Research Center 1436 Neural Resources of Cognition, Otto von Guericke University, Leipziger Str. 44, 39120, Magdeburg, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Stephanstraße 1a, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
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Keller M, Lichtenstein E, Roth R, Faude O. Balance Training Under Fatigue: A Randomized Controlled Trial on the Effect of Fatigue on Adaptations to Balance Training. J Strength Cond Res 2024; 38:297-305. [PMID: 37643391 PMCID: PMC10798588 DOI: 10.1519/jsc.0000000000004620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Keller, M, Lichtenstein, E, Roth, R, and Faude, O. Balance training under fatigue: a randomized controlled trial on the effect of fatigue on adaptations to balance training. J Strength Cond Res 38(2): 297-305, 2024-Balance training is an effective means for injury prevention in sports. However, one can question the existing practice of putting the balance programs at the start of a training session (i.e., train in an unfatigued state) because the occurrence of injuries has been associated with fatigue. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the influence of balance training in a fatigued or an unfatigued state on motor performance tested in fatigued and unfatigued conditions. Fifty-two, healthy, active volunteers (28.0 years; 19 women) were randomly allocated to 1 of 3 different training groups. The BALANCE group completed 6 weeks of balance training. The other 2 groups completed the identical balance tasks either before (BALANCE-high-intensity interval training [HIIT]) or after (HIIT-BALANCE) a HIIT session. Thus, these groups trained the balance tasks either in a fatigued or in an unfatigued state. In PRE and POST tests, balance (solid ground, soft mat, wobble board) and jump performance was obtained in fatigued and unfatigued states. Balance training resulted in reduced sway paths in all groups. However, the linear models revealed larger adaptations in BALANCE-HIIT and BALANCE when compared with HIIT-BALANCE ( d = 0.22-0.71). These small to moderate effects were-despite some uncertainties-consistent for the "unfatigued" and "fatigued" test conditions. The results of this study revealed for the first time that balance training under fatigue results in diminished adaptations, even when tested in a fatigued state. Therefore, the data indicate that balance training should be implemented at the start of a training session or in an unfatigued state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Keller
- Department of Sport, Exercise and Health, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Eric Lichtenstein
- Department of Sport, Exercise and Health, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Ralf Roth
- Department of Sport, Exercise and Health, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Oliver Faude
- Department of Sport, Exercise and Health, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
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Almaguer-Melian W, Mercerón-Martinez D, Alberti-Amador E, Alacán-Ricardo L, de Bardet JC, Orama-Rojo N, Vergara-Piña AE, Herrera-Estrada I, Bergado JA. Learning induces EPO/EPOr expression in memory relevant brain areas, whereas exogenously applied EPO promotes remote memory consolidation. Synapse 2024; 78:e22282. [PMID: 37794768 DOI: 10.1002/syn.22282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Revised: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023]
Abstract
Memory and learning allow animals to appropriate certain properties of nature with which they can navigate in it successfully. Memory is acquired slowly and consists of two major phases, a fragile early phase (short-term memory, <4 h) and a more robust and long-lasting late one (long-term memory, >4 h). Erythropoietin (EPO) prolongs memory from 24 to 72 h when animals are trained for 5 min in a place recognition task but not when training lasted 3 min (short-term memory). It is not known whether it promotes the formation of remote memory (≥21 days). We address whether the systemic administration of EPO can convert a short-term memory into a long-term remote memory, and the neural plasticity mechanisms involved. We evaluated the effect of training duration (3 or 5 min) on the expression of endogenous EPO and its receptor to shed light on the role of EPO in coordinating mechanisms of neural plasticity using a single-trial spatial learning test. We administered EPO 10 min post-training and evaluated memory after 24 h, 96 h, 15 days, or 21 days. We also determined the effect of EPO administered 10 min after training on the expression of arc and bdnf during retrieval at 24 h and 21 days. Data show that learning induces EPO/EPOr expression increase linked to memory extent, exogenous EPO prolongs memory up to 21 days; and prefrontal cortex bdnf expression at 24 h and in the hippocampus at 21 days, whereas arc expression increases at 21 days in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Almaguer-Melian
- Laboratorio de Electrofisiología Experimental del Centro Internacional de Restauración Neurológica, Havana, Cuba
| | - Daymara Mercerón-Martinez
- Laboratorio de Electrofisiología Experimental del Centro Internacional de Restauración Neurológica, Havana, Cuba
| | - Esteban Alberti-Amador
- Laboratorio de Biología Molecular del Centro Internacional de Restauración Neurológica, Havana, Cuba
| | - Laura Alacán-Ricardo
- Facultad de Medicina Victoria de Girón, Universidad Médica de La Habana, Havana, Cuba
| | - Javier Curi de Bardet
- Laboratorio de Biología Molecular del Centro Internacional de Restauración Neurológica, Havana, Cuba
| | - Norma Orama-Rojo
- Laboratorio de Electrofisiología Experimental del Centro Internacional de Restauración Neurológica, Havana, Cuba
| | | | | | - Jorge A Bergado
- Department of Psychology, Universidad del Sinú "Elías Bechara Zainum, ", Montería, Colombia
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Lehmann N, Aye N, Kaufmann J, Heinze HJ, Düzel E, Ziegler G, Taubert M. Changes in Cortical Microstructure of the Human Brain Resulting from Long-Term Motor Learning. J Neurosci 2023; 43:8637-8648. [PMID: 37875377 PMCID: PMC10727185 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0537-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Revised: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The mechanisms subserving motor skill acquisition and learning in the intact human brain are not fully understood. Previous studies in animals have demonstrated a causal relationship between motor learning and structural rearrangements of synaptic connections, raising the question of whether neurite-specific changes are also observable in humans. Here, we use advanced diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), sensitive to dendritic and axonal processes, to investigate neuroplasticity in response to long-term motor learning. We recruited healthy male and female human participants (age range 19-29) who learned a challenging dynamic balancing task (DBT) over four consecutive weeks. Diffusion MRI signals were fitted using Neurite Orientation Dispersion and Density Imaging (NODDI), a theory-driven biophysical model of diffusion, yielding measures of tissue volume, neurite density and the organizational complexity of neurites. While NODDI indices were unchanged and reliable during the control period, neurite orientation dispersion increased significantly during the learning period mainly in primary sensorimotor, prefrontal, premotor, supplementary, and cingulate motor areas. Importantly, reorganization of cortical microstructure during the learning phase predicted concurrent behavioral changes, whereas there was no relationship between microstructural changes during the control phase and learning. Changes in neurite complexity were independent of alterations in tissue density, cortical thickness, and intracortical myelin. Our results are in line with the notion that structural modulation of neurites is a key mechanism supporting complex motor learning in humans.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The structural correlates of motor learning in the human brain are not fully understood. Results from animal studies suggest that synaptic remodeling (e.g., reorganization of dendritic spines) in sensorimotor-related brain areas is a crucial mechanism for the formation of motor memory. Using state-of-the-art diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), we found a behaviorally relevant increase in the organizational complexity of neocortical microstructure, mainly in primary sensorimotor, prefrontal, premotor, supplementary, and cingulate motor regions, following training of a challenging dynamic balancing task (DBT). Follow-up analyses suggested structural modulation of synapses as a plausible mechanism driving this increase, while colocalized changes in cortical thickness, tissue density, and intracortical myelin could not be detected. These results advance our knowledge about the neurobiological basis of motor learning in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nico Lehmann
- Faculty of Human Sciences, Institute III, Department of Sport Science, Otto von Guericke University, Magdeburg 39104, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig 04103, Germany
| | - Norman Aye
- Faculty of Human Sciences, Institute III, Department of Sport Science, Otto von Guericke University, Magdeburg 39104, Germany
| | - Jörn Kaufmann
- Department of Neurology, Otto von Guericke University, Magdeburg 39120, Germany
| | - Hans-Jochen Heinze
- Department of Neurology, Otto von Guericke University, Magdeburg 39120, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg 39120, Germany
- Center for Behavioral and Brain Science (CBBS), Otto von Guericke University, Magdeburg 39106, Germany
- Leibniz-Institute for Neurobiology (LIN), Magdeburg 39118, Germany
| | - Emrah Düzel
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg 39120, Germany
- Center for Behavioral and Brain Science (CBBS), Otto von Guericke University, Magdeburg 39106, Germany
- Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research, Otto von Guericke University, Magdeburg 39120, Germany
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London WC1N 3AZ, United Kingdom
| | - Gabriel Ziegler
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg 39120, Germany
- Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research, Otto von Guericke University, Magdeburg 39120, Germany
| | - Marco Taubert
- Faculty of Human Sciences, Institute III, Department of Sport Science, Otto von Guericke University, Magdeburg 39104, Germany
- Center for Behavioral and Brain Science (CBBS), Otto von Guericke University, Magdeburg 39106, Germany
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Pechstein AE, Gollie JM, Keyser RE, Guccione AA. Walking Endurance and Oxygen Uptake On-Kinetics in Individuals With Parkinson Disease Following Overground Locomotor Training. J Neurol Phys Ther 2023; 47:99-111. [PMID: 36538418 DOI: 10.1097/npt.0000000000000423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Poor walking endurance in Parkinson disease (PD) may be attributable to both bioenergetic and biomechanical factors, but locomotor training methods addressing both these factors simultaneously are understudied. Our objective was to examine the effects of overground locomotor training (OLT) on walking endurance in individuals with mild-to-moderate PD, and to further explore potential cardiorespiratory contributions. METHODS A single-arm, longitudinal design was used to examine the effects of 24 biweekly sessions of OLT in people with mild-to-moderate PD (n = 12). Walking endurance was measured as total distance walked during a 10-minute walk test (10minWT). Oxygen uptake (V˙ o2 ) on-kinetic profiles were determined using a monoexponential function. Perceived fatigability was assessed following the 10minWT using a self-report scale. Magnitude of change in primary outcomes was assessed using Cohen's d and adjusted for sample size (Cohen's d(unbiased) ). RESULTS Participants executed 3036 (297) steps and maintained 65.5% (8%) age-predicted heart rate maximum in a typical session lasting 56.9 (2.5) minutes. Medium effects in total distance walked-885.9 (157.2) versus 969.5 (140.9); Cohen's d(unbiased) = 0.54-and phase II time constant of the V˙ o2 on-kinetic profile-33.7 (12.3) versus 25.9 (15.3); Cohen's d(unbiased) = 0.54-were observed alongside trivial effects for perceived fatigability-4.7 (1.4) versus 4.8 (1.5); Cohen's d(unbiased) = 0.11-following OLT. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS These preliminary findings may demonstrate the potential for moderate-intensity OLT to improve walking endurance and enhance cardiorespiratory adjustments to walking activity in adults with mild-to-moderate PD.Video Abstract available for more insights from the authors (see the Video, Supplemental Digital Content 1, http://links.lww.com/JNPT/A407 ).
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew E Pechstein
- Department of Rehabilitation Science, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia (A.E.P., J.M.G., R.E.K., A.A.G.); Department of Physical Therapy, University of Delaware, Newark (A.E.P.); and Research Service, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Washington, District of Columbia (J.M.G.)
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