Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/2440/58309
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Type: Journal article
Title: Motor cortex plasticity induced by paired associative stimulation is enhanced in physically active individuals
Author: Cirillo, J.
Lavender, A.
Ridding, M.
Semmler, J.
Citation: The Journal of Physiology, 2009; 587(24):5831-5842
Publisher: Blackwell Publishing Ltd
Issue Date: 2009
ISSN: 0022-3751
1469-7793
Statement of
Responsibility: 
John Cirillo, Andrew P. Lavender, Michael C. Ridding and John G. Semmler
Abstract: Recent evidence indicates that regular physical activity enhances brain plasticity (i.e. the ability to reorganise neural connections) and improves neurocognitive function. However, the effect of regular physical activity on human motor cortex function is unknown. The purpose of this study was to examine motor cortex plasticity for a small hand muscle in highly active and sedentary individuals. Electromyographic recordings were obtained from the left abductor pollicis brevis (APB) muscle of 14 active and 14 sedentary subjects (aged 18-38 yrs). The extent of physical activity was assessed by questionnaire, where the physically active subjects performed >150 min per day moderate-to-vigorous aerobic activity on at least 5 days per week, whereas the sedentary group performed <20 min per day of physical activity on no more than 3 days per week. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) of the right hemisphere was used to assess changes in APB motor-evoked potentials (MEPs), input-output curve (IO curve), short-interval intracortical inhibition (SICI) and cortical silent period (CSP). Neuroplastic changes were induced using paired-associative stimulation (PAS), which consisted of 90 paired stimuli (0.05 Hz for 30 min) of median nerve electrical stimulation at the wrist followed 25 ms later by TMS to the hand area of motor cortex. The IO curve slope was 35% steeper in individuals with increased physical activity (combined before and after PAS, P < 0.05), suggesting increased motor cortex excitability, although there was no difference in SICI or CSP between groups. PAS induced an increase in MEP amplitude in the physically active subjects (54% increase compared with before, P < 0.01), but no significant facilitation in the sedentary subjects. We conclude that participation in regular physical activity may offer global benefits to motor cortex function that enhances neuroplasticity, which could improve motor learning and neurorehabilitation in physically active individuals.
Keywords: Motor Cortex
Humans
Motor Activity
Cognition
Association Learning
Motor Skills
Evoked Potentials, Motor
Neuronal Plasticity
Adolescent
Female
Male
Young Adult
Rights: © 2009 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2009 The Physiological Society
DOI: 10.1113/jphysiol.2009.181834
Published version: http://dx.doi.org/10.1113/jphysiol.2009.181834
Appears in Collections:Aurora harvest 5
Physiology publications

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