Amphetamine enhances training-induced motor cortex plasticity.
OBJECTIVE
Repetitive synchronized movements lead to short-term plastic changes in the primary motor cortex, which can be assessed by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Drugs which enhance such plastic changes could be of therapeutical interest, e.g. in patients with cerebral lesions.


METHODS
We studied the effect of amphetamine on motor performance and plastic changes in the motor cortex as revealed by TMS mapping in healthy humans, who had to train a repetitive synchronized movement over 1 h.


RESULTS
Cortical plastic changes observed after 1 h of training were more pronounced with amphetamine, whereas motor performance did not differ between training sessions with and without amphetamine.


CONCLUSIONS
We conclude that amphetamine is able to enhance training-induced motor cortex plasticity. This effect could be due to its known influence on the GABAergic and glutamatergic system, but might also result from its role as an indirect catecholaminergic agonist.
Tegenthoff
M
M
Department of Neurology, BG-Kliniken Bergmannsheil, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
Cornelius
B
B
Pleger
B
B
Malin
J-P
JP
Schwenkreis
P
P
D000328:Adult; D000661:Amphetamine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000187:drug effects*; D004576:Electromyography / Q000187:drug effects; D019054:Evoked Potentials, Motor / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007537:Isometric Contraction / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D009044:Motor Cortex / Q000187:drug effects*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000294:innervation; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000187:drug effects*; D013268:Stimulation, Chemical
D000661:Amphetamine