Reduced motor cortex plasticity following inhibitory rTMS in older adults
Date
2010
Authors
Todd, G.
Kimber, T.
Ridding, M.
Semmler, J.
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Journal article
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Clinical Neurophysiology, 2010; 121(3):441-447
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Gabrielle Todd, Thomas E. Kimber, Michael C. Ridding and John G. Semmler
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Abstract
<h4>Objective</h4>Ageing is accompanied by diminished practice-dependent plasticity. We investigated the effect of age on another plasticity inducing paradigm, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS).<h4>Methods</h4>Healthy young (n=15; 25+/-4 years) and old (n=15; 67+/-5 years) adults participated in two experiments. Motor evoked potentials (MEPs) were measured in the target muscle (first dorsal interosseus, FDI) and a remote muscle (abductor digiti minimi) during a set of single stimuli. Subjects then received real or sham inhibitory rTMS (intermittent subthreshold trains of 6Hz stimulation for 10min). MEPs were measured for 30min after rTMS.<h4>Results</h4>In young adults, MEPs in the target FDI muscle were approximately 15% smaller in the real rTMS experiment than in the sham rTMS experiment (P<0.026). In old adults, FDI MEP size did not differ between experiments.<h4>Conclusions</h4>Advancing age is associated with reduced efficacy of inhibitory rTMS.<h4>Significance</h4>This work has important implications for the potential therapeutic use of rTMS in stroke and neurological disease.
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Copyright 2009 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved