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Quantitative Assessment of Cortical Auditory-tactile Processing in Children with Disabilities
Published on: January 29, 2014
Homeostatic metaplasticity in the human somatosensory cortex
Barbara Bliem1, J Florian M Müller-Dahlhaus, Hubert R Dinse
1Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany.
Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience
|February 29, 2008
Summary
Homeostatic metaplasticity in the human somatosensory cortex modulates synaptic plasticity and influences tactile skills. This study reveals how paired associative stimulation (PAS) primes the cortex for subsequent plasticity, impacting excitability and discrimination.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Human Physiology
- Synaptic Plasticity
Background:
- Homeostatic control mechanisms regulate synaptic strength via long-term potentiation (LTP) and long-term depression (LTD).
- Homeostatic metaplasticity, previously shown in the motor cortex, is less understood in other cortical regions and its behavioral links are unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate homeostatic metaplasticity in the human somatosensory cortex.
- To examine the interaction between paired associative stimulation (PAS) and peripheral high-frequency stimulation (pHFS) on cortical excitability and tactile spatial discrimination.
Main Methods:
- Used two PAS protocols (PAS(N20-15) and PAS(N20-2.5)) to induce LTD- or LTP-like plasticity.
- Assessed somatosensory cortex excitability via median nerve somatosensory evoked cortical potentials.
- Evaluated tactile spatial discrimination using the grating orientation task.
Main Results:
- PAS alone did not significantly alter cortical excitability or tactile discrimination.
- Subsequent pHFS effects depended on the preceding PAS protocol.
- PAS(N20-15) followed by pHFS tended to increase excitability and decrease discrimination threshold.
- PAS(N20-2.5) followed by pHFS tended to decrease excitability and increase discrimination threshold.
Conclusions:
- Homeostatic metaplasticity is present in the human somatosensory cortex.
- This metaplasticity influences both cortical excitability and fine motor skills, specifically tactile discrimination.
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