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09:48
Intracortical Inhibition Within the Primary Motor Cortex Can Be Modulated by Changing the Focus of Attention
Published on: September 11, 2017
Modulation of human motor cortex excitability by valproate.
Matthias Zunhammer1, Berthold Langguth, Michael Landgrebe
1Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University of Regensburg, Universitaetsstraße 84, 93053 Regensburg, Germany.
Psychopharmacology
|December 17, 2010
Summary
A single dose of valproate did not alter motor cortex excitability in healthy individuals. This suggests valproate
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Valproate is a common medication for epilepsy, bipolar disorder, and pain.
- Its precise mechanisms of action remain unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of a single 800 mg dose of valproate on motor cortex excitability.
- Utilized transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in healthy volunteers.
Main Methods:
- Assessed motor threshold, M-wave, cortical silent period, short intracortical inhibition, intracortical facilitation, and motor evoked potential recruitment.
- Measurements were taken before and 1.5 hours after valproate administration in 15 healthy volunteers.
Main Results:
- No significant changes in any measures of motor cortex excitability were observed after valproate administration.
- This indicates that acute valproate does not acutely affect motor cortex excitability.
Conclusions:
- Findings align with previous research showing no effect of single-dose valproate on intracortical excitability.
- Suggests valproate's immediate in vivo effects differ from classic GABAergic drugs.
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