Electrical stimulation during skill training with a therapeutic glove enhances the induction of cortical plasticity and has a positive effect on motor memory.
To examine whether afferent stimulation of hand muscles has a facilitating effect on motor performance, learning and cortical excitability, healthy subjects were trained on the grooved pegboard test (GTP) while wearing a mesh glove (MG) with incorporated electrical stimulation. Three study groups (n=12) were compared in a between subjects design, the bare handed (BH), gloved (MG) and gloved with electrical stimulation (MGS) groups. Motor performance was assessed by the GPT completion time across 4 training blocks, and further one block was retested 7 days later to determine the off-line effects. On-line learning was obtained by normalizing the completion time values to the first training block, and off-line learning was obtained by normalizing the retest values to the last training block. Cortical excitability was assessed via single and paired-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) at pre-training, post-training and 30 min post-training. Motor evoked potential recruitment curve, short-latency intracortical inhibition and intracortical facilitation were estimated from the TMS assessments. Motor performance across all 4 training blocks was poor in the MG and MGS groups, while on-line learning was not affected by wearing the glove or by afferent stimulation. However, off-line learning, tested 7 days after training, was improved in the MGS group compared to the MG group. In addition, post-training corticospinal excitability was increased in the MGS group. It can be concluded that afferent stimulation improves off-line learning and thus has a positive effect on motor memory, likely due to LTP-like cortical plasticity in the consolidation phase.
Department of Physiology, Medical University of Graz, Harrachgasse 21/5, 8010 Graz, Austria; Department of Physiotherapy, University of Applied Sciences FH JOANNEUM, Graz, Austria. Electronic address: monica.christova@medunigraz.at.
Monica
M
Christova
Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Dietmar
D
Rafolt
Department of Neurology, Paracelsus Medical University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria.
Stefan
S
Golaszewski
Department of Neurology, Paracelsus Medical University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria; Department of Neurology, F. Tappeiner Hospital, Merano, Italy.
Raffaele
R
Nardone
Department of Physiology, Medical University of Graz, Harrachgasse 21/5, 8010 Graz, Austria.
Eugen
E
Gallasch
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004558:Electric Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D019054:Evoked Potentials, Motor / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D017575:Gloves, Protective; D006225:Hand / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D009044:Motor Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011930:Reaction Time; D050781:Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation; D055815:Young Adult