title: The Olympic brain. Does corticospinal plasticity play a role in acquisition of skills required for high-performance sports?
abstract: Non-invasive electrophysiological and imaging techniques have recently made investigation of the intact behaving human brain possible. One of the most intriguing new research areas that have developed through these new technical advances is an improved understanding of the plastic adaptive changes in neuronal circuitries underlying improved performance in relation to skill training. Expansion of the cortical representation or modulation of corticomotor excitability of specific muscles engaged in task performance is required for the acquisition of the skill. These changes at cortical level appear to be paralleled by changes in transmission in spinal neuronal circuitries, which regulate the contribution of sensory feedback mechanisms to the execution of the task. Such adaptive changes also appear to be essential for the consolidation of a memory of performance of motor tasks and thus for the lasting ability of performing highly skilled movements such as those required for Olympic sports.
authors: Department of Neurobiology and Pharmacology, Panum Institute, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark. j.b.nielsen@mfi.ku.dk
authors: Jens Bo
authors: JB
authors: Nielsen
authors: Leonardo G
authors: LG
authors: Cohen
mesh_terms: D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology; D009048:Motor Skills / Q000502:physiology; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology*; D011712:Pyramidal Tracts / Q000502:physiology; D013177:Sports
references: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2000 Mar 28;97(7):3661-5
references: 10716702
references: J Neurosci. 2007 Jan 31;27(5):1045-53
references: 17267558
references: J Neurosci. 2001 May 15;21(10):3609-18
references: 11331390
references: Ann Neurol. 2002 Jan;51(1):59-68
references: 11782985
references: Electroencephalogr Clin Neurophysiol Suppl. 1999;51:157-61
references: 10590947
references: Exp Brain Res. 2000 Jan;130(2):238-43
references: 10672477
references: Nature. 2002 Feb 7;415(6872):640-4
references: 11807497
references: J Neurosci. 2002 Jul 1;22(13):5563-71
references: 12097507
references: Exp Brain Res. 2002 Aug;145(3):309-15
references: 12136380
references: J Physiol. 2002 Oct 15;544(Pt 2):641-52
references: 12381833
references: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2002 Oct 29;99(22):14518-23
references: 12376621
references: J Neurosci. 2003 Mar 15;23(6):2014-8
references: 12657659
references: Exp Brain Res. 2003 Jul;151(1):60-71
references: 12740728
references: J Neurosci. 2003 Oct 8;23(27):9240-5
references: 14534258
references: Ann Neurol. 2004 Mar;55(3):400-9
references: 14991818
references: Brain. 2004 Apr;127(Pt 4):747-58
references: 14749291
references: Clin Neurophysiol. 2004 May;115(5):1044-51
references: 15066528
references: J Appl Physiol (1985). 2004 May;96(5):1961-7
references: 15075316
references: Somatosens Mot Res. 1990;7(4):463-83
references: 2291378
references: J Clin Neurophysiol. 1991 Jan;8(1):56-65
references: 2019651
references: Exp Brain Res. 1991;83(2):419-26
references: 2022247
references: Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol. 1993;66(2):116-21
references: 8472692
references: Ann Neurol. 1993 Jul;34(1):33-7
references: 8517678
references: J Physiol. 1993 May;464:575-93
references: 8229819
references: Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1994 Dec;26(12):1475-9
references: 7869882
references: Can J Physiol Pharmacol. 1995 Feb;73(2):218-22
references: 7621360
references: Nature. 1995 Sep 14;377(6545):155-8
references: 7675082
references: Science. 1995 Oct 13;270(5234):305-7
references: 7569982
references: J Neurophysiol. 1995 Sep;74(3):1037-45
references: 7500130
references: Ann Neurol. 1995 Dec;38(6):910-5
references: 8526463
references: Brain. 1997 Jan;120 ( Pt 1):141-57
references: 9055804
references: J Neurophysiol. 1998 Feb;79(2):1117-23
references: 9463469
references: J Neurosci. 1998 Sep 1;18(17):7000-7
references: 9712668
references: J Cogn Neurosci. 2007 Feb;19(2):204-13
references: 17280510
references: J Physiol. 2007 Mar 1;579(Pt 2):375-88
references: 17170047
references: Restor Neurol Neurosci. 2007;25(1):9-15
references: 17473391
references: J Neurosci. 2007 May 9;27(19):5200-6
references: 17494706
references: Exp Brain Res. 1999 Jun;126(4):536-44
references: 10422717
references: Exp Brain Res. 2004 Nov;159(2):197-205
references: 15549279
references: Arch Neurol. 2004 Dec;61(12):1844-8
references: 15596603
references: Brain. 2005 Mar;128(Pt 3):490-9
references: 15634731
references: Neurology. 2005 Mar 22;64(6):1067-9
references: 15781831
references: Cereb Cortex. 2005 May;15(5):588-93
references: 15342437
references: Neurology. 2005 May 24;64(10):1802-4
references: 15911819
references: Ann Neurol. 2005 Jul;58(1):121-30
references: 15984008
references: Neurology. 2005 Aug 9;65(3):466-8
references: 16087918
references: Neurology. 2005 Aug 9;65(3):472-4
references: 16087920
references: Neuroreport. 2005 Sep 28;16(14):1551-5
references: 16148743
references: J Appl Physiol (1985). 2005 Oct;99(4):1558-68
references: 15890749
references: J Physiol. 2005 Oct 1;568(Pt 1):343-54
references: 16051628
references: J Neurosci. 2005 Oct 12;25(41):9339-46
references: 16221842
references: Stroke. 2005 Dec;36(12):2681-6
references: 16254224
references: Neuroimage. 2006 Jan 15;29(2):677-84
references: 16125417
references: Brain. 2006 Mar;129(Pt 3):809-19
references: 16421171
references: Neurosurgery. 2006 Mar;58(3):464-73
references: 16528186
references: Lancet Neurol. 2006 Aug;5(8):708-12
references: 16857577
references: Am J Phys Med Rehabil. 2006 Nov;85(11):927-30
references: 17079967
references: Clin Neurophysiol. 2007 Feb;118(2):333-42
references: 17166765
references: Annu Rev Neurosci. 2000;23:393-415
references: 10845069