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Standardized Induction and Assessment of Long-term Potentiation-like Cortical Plasticity Using Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
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Cortical and brainstem LTP-like plasticity in Huntington's disease
Domenica Crupi1, Maria Felice Ghilardi, Clara Mosiello
1CUNY School of Medicine, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, New York, NY, USA.
Brain Research Bulletin
|December 26, 2007
Summary
Huntington's disease (HD) patients show impaired long-term potentiation (LTP)-like plasticity in both the brain and cortex. This neurophysiological deficit may explain memory problems common in HD.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Neurophysiology
- Human Genetics
Background:
- Short-term plasticity deficits are known in Huntington's disease (HD).
- The impact of HD on long-term potentiation (LTP)-like plasticity remains unclear.
- HD is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder affecting motor, cognitive, and psychiatric functions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate cortical and brainstem LTP-like plasticity in symptomatic HD patients.
- To compare plasticity in HD patients with healthy controls.
- To explore potential neurophysiological correlates of cognitive deficits in HD.
Main Methods:
- Paired associative stimulation (PAS) probed motor cortex LTP-like plasticity.
- High-frequency stimulation (HFS) investigated brainstem plasticity in the trigeminal blink reflex circuit.
- Eight symptomatic HD patients and 10 age-matched controls participated.
Main Results:
- Symptomatic HD patients exhibited impaired cortical LTP-like plasticity.
- Brainstem LTP-like plasticity was also significantly impaired in HD patients.
- These findings align with LTP deficits observed in HD animal models.
Conclusions:
- HD is associated with widespread impairments in LTP-like plasticity.
- These neurophysiological deficits may underlie the memory impairments seen in HD patients.
- Further research into plasticity mechanisms in HD is warranted.
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