Intensity dependent effect of cognitive training on motor cortical plasticity and cognitive performance in humans

Abstract

Intervention-induced neuroplastic changes within the motor or cognitive system have been shown in the human brain. While cognitive and motor brain areas are densely interconnected, it is unclear whether this interconnectivity allows for a shared susceptibility to neuroplastic changes. Using the preparation for a theoretical exam as training intervention that primarily engages the cognitive system, we tested the hypothesis whether neuroplasticity acts across interconnected brain areas by investigating the effect on excitability and synaptic plasticity in the motor cortex. 39 healthy students (23 female) underwent 4 weeks of cognitive training while revision time, physical activity, concentration, fatigue, sleep quality and stress were monitored. Before and after cognitive training, cognitive performance was evaluated, as well as motor excitability using transcranial magnetic stimulation and long-term-potentiation-like (LTP-like) plasticity using paired-associative-stimulation (PAS). Cognitive training ranged individually from 1 to 7 h/day and enhanced attention and verbal working memory. While motor excitability did not change, LTP-like plasticity increased in an intensity-depending manner: the longer the daily revision time, the smaller the increase of neuroplasticity, and vice versa. This effect was not influenced by physical activity, concentration, fatigue, sleep quality or stress. Motor cortical plasticity is strengthened by a behavioural intervention that primarily engages cognitive brain areas. We suggest that this effect is due to an enhanced susceptibility to LTP-like plasticity, probably induced by heterosynaptic activity that modulates postsynaptic excitability in motorcortical neurones. The smaller increase of PAS efficiency with higher cognitive training intensity suggests a mechanism that balances and stabilises the susceptibility for synaptic potentiation.

Cortical Plasticity Mechanism and Efficacy Prediction of Repeated Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in the Treatment of Depression with Continuous Short Bursts of Rapid Pulse Stimulation (cTBS)

“…The patient was prostrate on the treatment bed, and the rTMS monopulse mode stimulated the thumb motor cortex (M1) on the dominant side of the hand 10 times, at least 5 of which induced the thumb abductor muscle movement, and the stimulus intensity energy is RMT, which is a necessary step before rTMS treatment, and there are individual Mediators of Inflammation differences. The patient was placed on the treatment bed in a relaxed state, and the medtronic MagPro magnetic stimulator was used to determine the stimulation site according to the international EEG 10-20 system [22,23]. The highfrequency stimulation site was left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, the stimulation coil was tangent to the scalp, and the coil handle was backward, the stimulation intensity was 80% motor threshold (MT), the stimulation frequency was 10 Hz, the stimulation was 4 s once, the interval was 56 s, and the stimulation of 30 sequences was a single treatment, once a day, 5 times a week, and the rest was 2 days, 4 weeks as a course of treatment, a total of 2 courses of treatment, and a total of 40 times.…”

Physical Activity Reduces Clinical Symptoms and Restores Neuroplasticity in Major Depression

“…First, changes in structural and functional synaptic plasticity, such as reduced synaptic density in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), the anterior corpus callosum (ACC), and the hippocampus ( 5 , 50 , 51 ) are described in MDD, likely leading to reduced functional connectivity within and between networks underlying mood and cognition. The motor cortex is an important node in the brain and processes information from various inputs ( 52 , 53 ) as it is strongly interconnected with numerous brain areas. Several key structures of the cognitive network, such as the DLPFC ( 54 ), the posterior parietal cortex ( 55 ), as well as frontal areas ( 56 ) have been shown to be connected to the motor cortex, as several double-pulse TMS studies ( 57 – 60 ) as well as cortico-cortical paired associative stimulation studies have shown ( 61 – 64 ).…”

The effect of motor development in adolescence on cognition: A cumulative literature review

“…From an evolutionary perspective, the motor act is the set of movements oriented to a purpose, while the action is a sequence of motor acts oriented to a purpose. If it is true that the purpose guides the chain of movements, it is also true that to achieve it, mental structures are needed to organize the motor system (Berns et al, 2020). Brain maturation, together with physiological and musculoskeletal development, determine the evolution of motor development.…”