Dataset Information

Mental practice modulates functional connectivity between the cerebellum and the primary motor cortex.

ABSTRACT: Our brain has the extraordinary capacity to improve motor skills through mental practice. Conceptually, this ability is attributed to internal forward models, which are cerebellar neural networks that can predict the sensory consequences of motor commands. In our study, we employed single and dual-coil transcranial magnetic stimulations to probe the level of corticospinal excitability and cerebellar-brain inhibition, respectively, before and after a mental practice session or a control session. Motor skill (i.e., accuracy and speed) was measured using a sequential finger tapping-task. We found that mental practice enhanced both speed and accuracy. In parallel, the functional connectivity between the cerebellum and the primary motor cortex changed, with less inhibition from the first to the second. These findings reveal the existence of neuroplastic changes within the cerebellum, supporting the involvement of internal models after mental practice.

SUBMITTER: Rannaud Monany D

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9142644 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Mental practice modulates functional connectivity between the cerebellum and the primary motor cortex.

Rannaud Monany Dylan D Lebon Florent F Dupont William W Papaxanthis Charalambos C

iScience 20220513 6

Our brain has the extraordinary capacity to improve motor skills through mental practice. Conceptually, this ability is attributed to internal forward models, which are cerebellar neural networks that can predict the sensory consequences of motor commands. In our study, we employed single and dual-coil transcranial magnetic stimulations to probe the level of corticospinal excitability and cerebellar-brain inhibition, respectively, before and after a mental practice session or a control session. ...[more]

PMID: 35637729

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Project description:BackgroundThe primary motor cortex (M1) is a critical node in Parkinson's disease (PD)-related motor circuitry; however, the functional roles of its subregions are poorly understood. In this study, we investigated changes in the functional connectivity patterns of M1 subregions and their relationships to improved clinical symptoms following levodopa administration.MethodsThirty-six PD patients and 37 healthy controls (HCs) were enrolled. A formal levodopa challenge test was conducted in the PD group, and the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale motor section (UPDRS-III) was assessed before (off state) and 1 h after administration of levodopa (on state). The PD group underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging in both off and on states, whereas the HC group was scanned once. We used the Human Brainnetome Atlas template to subdivide M1 into twelve regions of interest (ROIs). Functional connectivity (FC) was compared between PD on and off states [paired t-test, voxel-level p < 0.001, cluster-level p < 0.05, Gaussian random field (GRF) correction] and between patients and HC (two-sample t-test voxel-level p < 0.001, cluster-level p < 0.05). Correlations between ΔFC (differences in FC between PD off and on states) and clinical symptom improvements were examined.ResultsThere was decreased FC between the right caudal dorsolateral area 6 and the anterior cingulate gyrus (ACC), the right upper limb region and the left medial dorsal thalamus (mdTHA), as well as increased FC between the left tongue and larynx region and the left medial frontal gyrus. ΔFC between the right caudal dorsolateral area 6 and ACC was positively correlated with improvements in UPDRS-III total scores as well as the rigidity (item 22) and bradykinesia (items 23-26 and 31) subscores. ΔFC between the right upper limb region and left thalamus was positively correlated with improvements in the left upper limb tremor (items 20c and 21b) and postural tremor (item 21b) subscores.ConclusionsOur results reveal novel information regarding the underlying mechanisms in the motor circuits in the M1 and a promising way to explore the internal function of the M1 in PD patients. Notably, M1 is a potential therapeutic target in PD, and the exploration of its subregions provides a basis and a source of new insights for clinical intervention and precise drug treatment.

Dataset Information

Mental practice modulates functional connectivity between the cerebellum and the primary motor cortex.

Publications

Mental practice modulates functional connectivity between the cerebellum and the primary motor cortex.

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