Journal article
Visual attentional load influences plasticity in the human motor cortex
The Journal of Neuroscience, Vol.32(20), pp.7001-7008
2012
PMCID: PMC6622206
PMID: 22593068
Abstract
Neural plasticity plays a critical role in learning, memory, and recovery from injury to the nervous system. Although much is known about the physical and physiological determinants of plasticity, little is known about the influence of cognitive factors. In this study, we investigated whether selective attention plays a role in modifying changes in neural excitability reflecting long-term potentiation (LTP)-like plasticity. We induced LTP-like effects in the hand area of the human motor cortex using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). During the induction of plasticity, participants engaged in a visual detection task with either low or high attentional demands. Changes in neural excitability were assessed by measuring motor-evoked potentials in a small hand muscle before and after the TMS procedures. In separate experiments plasticity was induced either by paired associative stimulation (PAS) or intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS). Because these procedures induce different forms of LTP-like effects, they allowed us to investigate the generality of any attentional influence on plasticity. In both experiments reliable changes in motor cortex excitability were evident under low-load conditions, but this effect was eliminated under high-attentional load. In a third experiment we investigated whether the attentional task was associated with ongoing changes in the excitability of motor cortex, but found no difference in evoked potentials across the levels of attentional load. Our findings indicate that in addition to their role in modifying sensory processing, mechanisms of attention can also be a potent modulator of cortical plasticity.
Details
- Title
- Visual attentional load influences plasticity in the human motor cortex
- Authors
- Marc R Kamke (Author) - University of QueenslandMichelle G Hall (Author) - University of QueenslandHayley F Lye (Author) - University of QueenslandMartin V Sale (Author) - University of QueenslandLaura R Fenlon (Author) - University of QueenslandTimothy J Carroll (Author) - University of QueenslandStephan Riek (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Graduate Research SchoolJason B Mattingley (Author) - University of Queensland
- Publication details
- The Journal of Neuroscience, Vol.32(20), pp.7001-7008
- Publisher
- Society for Neuroscience
- DOI
- 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1028-12.2012
- ISSN
- 1529-2401
- PMID
- 22593068; PMC6622206
- Organisation Unit
- Graduate Research School; University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 99472604202621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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