title: Cholinergic influences on use-dependent plasticity.
abstract: Motor practice elicits use-dependent plasticity in humans as well as in animals. Given the influence of cholinergic neurotransmission on learning and memory processes, we evaluated the effects of scopolamine (a muscarinic receptor antagonist) on use-dependent plasticity and corticomotor excitability in a double-blind placebo-controlled randomized design study. Use-dependent plasticity was substantially attenuated by scopolamine in the absence of global changes in corticomotor excitability. These results identify a facilitatory role for cholinergic influences in use-dependent plasticity in the human motor system.
authors.affiliation: Human Cortical Physiology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sawaki
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Boroojerdi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kaelin-Lang
authors.forename: A H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Burstein
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Bütefisch
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kopylev
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: L G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Cohen
mesh_terms: D000279:Administration, Cutaneous; D002799:Cholinergic Fibers / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004558:Electric Stimulation / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D004576:Electromyography; D019054:Evoked Potentials, Motor / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008280:Magnetics; D009044:Motor Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009068:Movement / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D018727:Muscarinic Antagonists / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000294:innervation / Q000502:physiology; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D012601:Scopolamine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D012684:Sensory Thresholds / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D013933:Thumb / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D018727:Muscarinic Antagonists; D012601:Scopolamine