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Reduced surround inhibition in musicians
Hae-Won Shin1, Suk Y Kang, Mark Hallett
1Department of Neurology, Chung-Ang University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea. heather@gmail.com
Experimental Brain Research
|May 1, 2012
Summary
Professional musicians exhibit reduced surround inhibition (SI) in their motor systems compared to non-musicians. This difference in motor control may increase their risk for developing task-specific dystonia.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Motor Control
- Human Movement Science
Background:
- Surround inhibition (SI) is a crucial neural mechanism for refining motor output.
- Altered SI has been implicated in various motor disorders.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate potential alterations in SI within the motor system of professional musicians.
- To explore the relationship between musical training and SI.
Main Methods:
- A transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) study was conducted on 10 professional musicians and 15 age-matched healthy non-musicians.
- Motor evoked potential (MEP) amplitudes of the abductor digiti minimi (ADM) muscles were measured during self-initiated index finger flexion at varying intervals.
- Normalized MEP amplitudes were compared between groups to assess SI.
Main Results:
- A significant difference in normalized ADM MEPs was observed between musicians and non-musicians during index finger flexion.
- Musicians demonstrated significantly less SI compared to non-musicians.
- The primary analysis focused on intervals between 3 and 80 ms, revealing reduced inhibition in the musician group.
Conclusions:
- Professional musicians exhibit a less pronounced functional operation of surround inhibition compared to non-musicians.
- This reduction in SI may stem from extensive practice of movement synergies.
- Reduced SI in musicians could potentially predispose them to developing task-specific dystonia.
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