Extending lifetime of plastic changes in the human brain.
The ability of the brain to adjust to changing environments and to recover from damage rests on its remarkable capacity to adapt through plastic changes of underlying neural networks. We show here with an eye movement paradigm that a lifetime of plastic changes can be extended to several hours by repeated applications of theta burst transcranial magnetic stimulation to the frontal eye field of the human cortex. The results suggest that repeated application of the same stimulation protocol consolidates short-lived plasticity into long-lasting changes.
Nyffeler
Thomas
T
Perception and Eye Movement Laboratory, Department of Neurology, University Hospital, University of Bern, Freiburgstrasse 10, 3010 Bern, Switzerland.
Wurtz
Pascal
P
Lüscher
Hans-Rudolf
HR
Hess
Christian W
CW
Senn
Walter
W
Pflugshaupt
Tobias
T
von Wartburg
Roman
R
Lüthi
Mathias
M
Müri
René M
RM
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D005133:Eye Movements / Q000502:physiology*; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects; D013997:Time Factors; D050781:Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation / Q000379:methods