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Related Experiment Videos

Modulation of use-dependent plasticity by d-amphetamine.

Cathrin M Bütefisch1, Benjamin C Davis, Lumy Sawaki

  • 1Human Cortical Physiology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-1430, USA.

Annals of Neurology
|January 10, 2002
PubMed
Summary

D-amphetamine enhances use-dependent plasticity during motor training in healthy adults. This drug may improve functional recovery after brain injury by boosting the brain's ability to adapt.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Motor Control
  • Neurorehabilitation

Background:

  • Use-dependent plasticity is crucial for functional recovery post-brain injury.
  • Motor training is a known method to elicit use-dependent plasticity.
  • The potential role of pharmacological agents in augmenting this process remains an area of investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate whether d-amphetamine administration facilitates motor training-induced use-dependent plasticity.
  • To compare the effects of d-amphetamine versus placebo on plasticity changes.

Main Methods:

  • Healthy volunteers participated in a randomized, double-blind, counterbalanced study.
  • Participants underwent voluntary thumb movement training under d-amphetamine or placebo.
  • Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) was used to assess changes in movement kinematics and electromyographic responses.

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Main Results:

  • Motor training under d-amphetamine led to greater magnitude, faster development, and longer duration of use-dependent plasticity compared to placebo.
  • Significant differences were observed in TMS-evoked kinematic and electromyographic responses between conditions.

Conclusions:

  • D-amphetamine significantly facilitates use-dependent plasticity elicited by motor training.
  • This finding suggests a potential mechanism for d-amphetamine's beneficial effects on functional recovery after cortical lesions.