title: Fatigue-induced motor cortex excitability changes in subjects with spinal cord injury.
abstract: To further investigate the mechanisms of exercise-induced cortical plasticity after spinal cord injury (SCI), the cortical silent period (CoSP) evoked by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) during a fatiguing muscle contraction was evaluated in 5 patients with incomplete cervical SCI and in 5 healthy subjects. The physiological lengthening of CoSP end latency during fatigue was not observed in the SCI patients. This reduced intracortical inhibition, probably secondary to decreased activity of the GABAergic inhibitory interneurons that modulate the corticomotoneuronal output, could represent a 'positive' neuroplastic response in an attempt to compensate for the loss of corticospinal axons. The investigation of motor cortex excitability during fatiguing exercise may shed light on the role of exercise therapy in promoting brain reorganization and functional recovery in humans.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Christian Doppler Klinik, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria; Department of Neurology, Franz Tappeiner Hospital, Merano, Italy; Spinal Cord Injury and Tissue Regeneration Center, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria. Electronic address: raffaele.nardone@asbmeran-o.it.
authors.forename: Raffaele
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nardone
authors.forename: Yvonne
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Höller
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Brigo
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Höller
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Christova
authors.forename: Frediano
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tezzon
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Golaszewski
authors.forename: Eugen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Trinka
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004576:Electromyography; D019054:Evoked Potentials, Motor / Q000502:physiology*; D005221:Fatigue / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009044:Motor Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000150:complications*; D050781:Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
keywords: Cortical silent period; Exercise; Fatigue; Spinal cord injury; Transcranial magnetic stimulation