Motor imagery practice during arm-immobilization benefits sensorimotor cortical functions and plasticity-related sleep features

ABSTRACTMotor imagery (MI) is known to engage motor networks and could compensate for the maladaptive neuroplasticity elicited by immobilization. This hypothesis and associated underlying neural mechanisms remain underexplored. Here, we investigated how MI practice during 11 h of arm-immobilization influences sensorimotor and cortical representations of the hands, as well as sleep. Fourteen participants were first tested after a normal day, followed by two 11-h periods of immobilization, either with concomitant MI treatment or control tasks. Data revealed that MI prevented the consequences of immobilization: (i) alteration of the sensorimotor representation of hands, (ii) decrease of cortical excitability over the primary motor cortex (M1) contralateral to arm-immobilization, and (iii) reduction of sleep spindles over both M1s. Furthermore, (iv) the time spent in REM sleep was significantly longer after MI. These results support that implementing MI during immobilization can limit the deleterious effects of limb disuse, at several levels of sensorimotor functioning.

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Differences between motor execution and motor imagery of grasping movements in the motor cortical excitatory circuit

PeerJ ◽

10.7717/peerj.5588 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 6 ◽

pp. e5588 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Hai-Jiang Meng ◽

Yan-Ling Pi ◽

Ke Liu ◽

Na Cao ◽

Yan-Qiu Wang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Motor Cortex ◽

Motor Imagery ◽

Primary Motor Cortex ◽

Cortical Excitability ◽

Short Interval ◽

Corticospinal Excitability ◽

Motor Execution ◽

Human Motor Cortex ◽

Motor Cortical ◽

The Right

Background Both motor imagery (MI) and motor execution (ME) can facilitate motor cortical excitability. Although cortical excitability is modulated by intracortical inhibitory and excitatory circuits in the human primary motor cortex, it is not clear which intracortical circuits determine the differences in corticospinal excitability between ME and MI. Methods We recruited 10 young healthy subjects aged 18−28 years (mean age: 22.1 ± 3.14 years; five women and five men) for this study. The experiment consisted of two sets of tasks involving grasp actions of the right hand: imagining and executing them. Corticospinal excitability and short-interval intracortical inhibition (SICI) were measured before the interventional protocol using transcranial magnetic stimulation (baseline), as well as at 0, 20, and 40 min (T0, T20, and T40) thereafter. Results Facilitation of corticospinal excitability was significantly greater after ME than after MI in the right abductor pollicis brevis (APB) at T0 and T20 (p < 0.01 for T0, and p < 0.05 for T20), but not in the first dorsal interosseous (FDI) muscle. On the other hand, no significant differences in SICI between ME and MI were found in the APB and FDI muscles. The facilitation of corticospinal excitability at T20 after MI correlated with the Movement Imagery Questionnaire (MIQ) scores for kinesthetic items (Rho = −0.646, p = 0.044) but did not correlate with the MIQ scores for visual items (Rho = −0.265, p = 0.458). Discussion The present results revealed significant differences between ME and MI on intracortical excitatory circuits of the human motor cortex, suggesting that cortical excitability differences between ME and MI may be attributed to the activation differences of the excitatory circuits in the primary motor cortex.

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Motor imagery practice benefits during arm immobilization

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-88142-6 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Ursula Debarnot ◽

Aurore. A. Perrault ◽

Virginie Sterpenich ◽

Guillaume Legendre ◽

Chieko Huber ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Motor Imagery ◽

Magnetic Stimulation ◽

Cortical Excitability ◽

Judgment Task ◽

Sleep Spindles ◽

Functional Rehabilitation ◽

Beneficial Effects ◽

Hand Laterality ◽

Cortical Representations ◽

Laterality Judgment

AbstractMotor imagery (MI) is known to engage motor networks and is increasingly used as a relevant strategy in functional rehabilitation following immobilization, whereas its effects when applied during immobilization remain underexplored. Here, we hypothesized that MI practice during 11 h of arm-immobilization prevents immobilization-related changes at the sensorimotor and cortical representations of hand, as well as on sleep features. Fourteen participants were tested after a normal day (without immobilization), followed by two 11-h periods of immobilization, either with concomitant MI treatment or control tasks, one week apart. At the end of each condition, participants were tested on a hand laterality judgment task, then underwent transcranial magnetic stimulation to measure cortical excitability of the primary motor cortices (M1), followed by a night of sleep during which polysomnography data was recorded. We show that MI treatment applied during arm immobilization had beneficial effects on (1) the sensorimotor representation of hands, (2) the cortical excitability over M1 contralateral to arm-immobilization, and (3) sleep spindles over both M1s during the post-immobilization night. Furthermore, (4) the time spent in REM sleep was significantly longer, following the MI treatment. Altogether, these results support that implementing MI during immobilization may limit deleterious effects of limb disuse, at several levels of sensorimotor functioning.

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Effects of transcranial static magnetic stimulation over the primary motor cortex on local and network spontaneous electroencephalogram oscillations

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-87746-2 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Sumiya Shibata ◽

Tatsunori Watanabe ◽

Yoshihiro Yukawa ◽

Masatoshi Minakuchi ◽

Ryota Shimomura ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Motor Cortex ◽

Power Spectrum ◽

Magnetic Stimulation ◽

Primary Motor Cortex ◽

Cortical Excitability ◽

Controlled Study ◽

Functional Coupling ◽

Phase Lag ◽

Theta Band ◽

Double Blind

AbstractTranscranial static magnetic stimulation (tSMS) is a novel non-invasive brain stimulation technique that reduces cortical excitability at the stimulation site. We investigated the effects of tSMS over the left primary motor cortex (M1) for 20 min on the local electroencephalogram (EEG) power spectrum and interregional EEG coupling. Twelve right-handed healthy subjects participated in this crossover, double-blind, sham-controlled study. Resting-state EEG data were recorded for 3 min before the intervention and 17 min after the beginning of the intervention. The power spectrum at the left central electrode (C3) and the weighted phase lag index (wPLI) between C3 and the other electrodes was calculated for theta (4–8 Hz), alpha (8–12 Hz), and beta (12–30 Hz) frequencies. The tSMS significantly increased theta power at C3 and the functional coupling in the theta band between C3 and the parietal midline electrodes. The tSMS over the left M1 for 20 min exhibited modulatory effects on local cortical activity and interregional functional coupling in the theta band. The neural oscillations in the theta band may have an important role in the neurophysiological effects induced by tSMS over the frontal cortex.

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Cerebellar rTMS and PAS effectively induce cerebellar plasticity

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-82496-7 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Martje G. Pauly ◽

Annika Steinmeier ◽

Christina Bolte ◽

Feline Hamami ◽

Elinor Tzvi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Motor Cortex ◽

Healthy Subjects ◽

Primary Motor Cortex ◽

Cortical Excitability ◽

Motor Evoked Potentials ◽

Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation ◽

Premotor Cortex ◽

Motor Pathways ◽

Non Invasive ◽

Cerebellar Plasticity

AbstractNon-invasive brain stimulation techniques including repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), continuous theta-burst stimulation (cTBS), paired associative stimulation (PAS), and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) have been applied over the cerebellum to induce plasticity and gain insights into the interaction of the cerebellum with neo-cortical structures including the motor cortex. We compared the effects of 1 Hz rTMS, cTBS, PAS and tDCS given over the cerebellum on motor cortical excitability and interactions between the cerebellum and dorsal premotor cortex / primary motor cortex in two within subject designs in healthy controls. In experiment 1, rTMS, cTBS, PAS, and tDCS were applied over the cerebellum in 20 healthy subjects. In experiment 2, rTMS and PAS were compared to sham conditions in another group of 20 healthy subjects. In experiment 1, PAS reduced cortical excitability determined by motor evoked potentials (MEP) amplitudes, whereas rTMS increased motor thresholds and facilitated dorsal premotor-motor and cerebellum-motor cortex interactions. TDCS and cTBS had no significant effects. In experiment 2, MEP amplitudes increased after rTMS and motor thresholds following PAS. Analysis of all participants who received rTMS and PAS showed that MEP amplitudes were reduced after PAS and increased following rTMS. rTMS also caused facilitation of dorsal premotor-motor cortex and cerebellum-motor cortex interactions. In summary, cerebellar 1 Hz rTMS and PAS can effectively induce plasticity in cerebello-(premotor)-motor pathways provided larger samples are studied.

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Online and offline effects of transcranial alternating current stimulation of the primary motor cortex

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-83449-w ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Ivan Pozdniakov ◽

Alicia Nunez Vorobiova ◽

Giulia Galli ◽

Simone Rossi ◽

Matteo Feurra

Keyword(s):

Motor Cortex ◽

Primary Motor Cortex ◽

Cortical Excitability ◽

Motor Evoked Potentials ◽

Random Noise ◽

Single Pulse ◽

Alternating Current ◽

Online Application ◽

Transcranial Random Noise Stimulation ◽

Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation

AbstractTranscranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) is a non-invasive brain stimulation technique that allows interaction with endogenous cortical oscillatory rhythms by means of external sinusoidal potentials. The physiological mechanisms underlying tACS effects are still under debate. Whereas online (e.g., ongoing) tACS over the motor cortex induces robust state-, phase- and frequency-dependent effects on cortical excitability, the offline effects (i.e. after-effects) of tACS are less clear. Here, we explored online and offline effects of tACS in two single-blind, sham-controlled experiments. In both experiments we used neuronavigated transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) of the primary motor cortex (M1) as a probe to index changes of cortical excitability and delivered M1 tACS at 10 Hz (alpha), 20 Hz (beta) and sham (30 s of low-frequency transcranial random noise stimulation; tRNS). Corticospinal excitability was measured by single pulse TMS-induced motor evoked potentials (MEPs). tACS was delivered online in Experiment 1 and offline in Experiment 2. In Experiment 1, the increase of MEPs size was maximal with the 20 Hz stimulation, however in Experiment 2 neither the 10 Hz nor the 20 Hz stimulation induced tACS offline effects. These findings support the idea that tACS affects cortical excitability only during online application, at least when delivered on the scalp overlying M1, thereby contributing to the development of effective protocols that can be applied to clinical populations.

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The BOLD response in primary motor cortex and supplementary motor area during kinesthetic motor imagery based graded fMRI neurofeedback

NeuroImage ◽

10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.09.007 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 184 ◽

pp. 36-44 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

David M.A. Mehler ◽

Angharad N. Williams ◽

Florian Krause ◽

Michael Lührs ◽

Richard G. Wise ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Motor Cortex ◽

Motor Imagery ◽

Primary Motor Cortex ◽

Supplementary Motor Area ◽

Motor Area ◽

Bold Response

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Expanding the parameter space of anodal transcranial direct current stimulation of the primary motor cortex

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-019-54621-0 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Desmond Agboada ◽

Mohsen Mosayebi Samani ◽

Asif Jamil ◽

Min-Fang Kuo ◽

Michael A. Nitsche

Keyword(s):

Motor Cortex ◽

Parameter Space ◽

Primary Motor Cortex ◽

Cortical Excitability ◽

Motor Evoked Potentials ◽

Anodal Tdcs ◽

Stimulation Parameters ◽

Motor Cortex Excitability ◽

The Impact ◽

Motor Cortex Plasticity

AbstractSize and duration of the neuroplastic effects of tDCS depend on stimulation parameters, including stimulation duration and intensity of current. The impact of stimulation parameters on physiological effects is partially non-linear. To improve the utility of this intervention, it is critical to gather information about the impact of stimulation duration and intensity on neuroplasticity, while expanding the parameter space to improve efficacy. Anodal tDCS of 1–3 mA current intensity was applied for 15–30 minutes to study motor cortex plasticity. Sixteen healthy right-handed non-smoking volunteers participated in 10 sessions (intensity-duration pairs) of stimulation in a randomized cross-over design. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)-induced motor-evoked potentials (MEP) were recorded as outcome measures of tDCS effects until next evening after tDCS. All active stimulation conditions enhanced motor cortex excitability within the first 2 hours after stimulation. We observed no significant differences between the three stimulation intensities and durations on cortical excitability. A trend for larger cortical excitability enhancements was however observed for higher current intensities (1 vs 3 mA). These results add information about intensified tDCS protocols and suggest that the impact of anodal tDCS on neuroplasticity is relatively robust with respect to gradual alterations of stimulation intensity, and duration.

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Time Course of Determination of Movement Direction in the Reaction Time Task in Humans

Journal of Neurophysiology ◽

10.1152/jn.2001.86.3.1195 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 86 (3) ◽

pp. 1195-1201 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

Martin Sommer ◽

Joseph Classen ◽

Leonardo G. Cohen ◽

Mark Hallett

Keyword(s):

Reaction Time ◽

Motor Cortex ◽

Time Course ◽

Primary Motor Cortex ◽

Cortical Excitability ◽

Motor Evoked Potentials ◽

Movement Direction ◽

Movement Onset ◽

Thumb Movement

The primary motor cortex produces motor commands that include encoding the direction of movement. Excitability of the motor cortex in the reaction time (RT) task can be assessed using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). To elucidate the timing of the increase in cortical excitability and of the determination of movement direction before movement onset, we asked six right-handed, healthy subjects to either abduct or extend their right thumb after a go-signal indicated the appropriate direction. Between the go-signal and movement onset, single TMS pulses were delivered to the contralateral motor cortex. We recorded the direction of the TMS-induced thumb movement and the amplitude of motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) from the abductor pollicis brevis and extensor pollicis brevis muscles. Facilitation of MEPs from the prime mover, as early as 200 ms before the end of the reaction time, preceded facilitation of MEPs from the nonprime mover, and both preceded measurable directional change. Compared with a control condition in which no voluntary movement was required, the direction of the TMS-induced thumb movement started to change in the direction of the intended movement as early as 90 ms before the end of the RT, and maximum changes were seen shortly before the end of reaction time. Movement acceleration also increased with maxima shortly before the end of the RT. We conclude that in concentric movements a change of the movement direction encoded in the primary motor cortex occurs in the 200 ms prior to movement onset, which is as early as increased excitability itself can be detected.

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