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Related Experiment Videos

Cholinergic modulation of experience-dependent plasticity in human auditory cortex.

Christiane M Thiel1, Karl J Friston, Raymond J Dolan

  • 1Wellcome Department of Imaging Neuroscience, Institute of Neurology, 12 Queen Square, London WC1 3BG, United Kingdom. c.thiel@fz-juelich.de

Neuron
|August 8, 2002
PubMed
Summary

Acetylcholine modulates experience-dependent plasticity in the human brain. This study shows that the anticholinergic drug scopolamine blocks experience-dependent plasticity in auditory cortex, indicating acetylcholine

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Neuropharmacology

Background:

  • Experience-dependent plasticity is crucial for learning and memory.
  • The precise neurochemical mechanisms underlying human brain plasticity remain incompletely understood.
  • Cholinergic systems are implicated in cognitive functions, including learning and attention.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of acetylcholine in experience-dependent plasticity in the human auditory cortex.
  • To determine if cholinergic modulation affects the hemodynamic response associated with auditory learning.

Main Methods:

  • Event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was employed to measure brain activity.
  • A differential aversive conditioning paradigm using auditory stimuli (high and low tones) paired with electrical shock was used.

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  • Subjects received either a placebo or the anticholinergic drug scopolamine (0.4 mg iv) prior to conditioning.

    • Main Results:

    • Experience-dependent plasticity, indicated by a conditioning-specific enhanced Blood-Oxygen-Level-Dependent (BOLD) response, was observed in the auditory cortex of the placebo group.
    • This enhanced BOLD response associated with auditory learning was abolished in the group treated with scopolamine.
    • The findings demonstrate a significant impact of cholinergic blockade on plasticity-related hemodynamic changes.

    Conclusions:

    • Acetylcholine plays a critical role in mediating experience-dependent plasticity in the human auditory cortex.
    • Cholinergic neurotransmission is essential for the expression of learning-induced hemodynamic changes in the brain.
    • This study provides in vivo evidence for the neuromodulatory effects of acetylcholine on human brain plasticity.