scholarly journals Differential Corticomotor Excitability Responses to Hypertonic Saline-Induced Muscle Pain in Forearm and Hand Muscles

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dennis B. Larsen ◽  
Thomas Graven-Nielsen ◽  
Rogerio P. Hirata ◽  
Shellie A. Boudreau
Keyword(s):  
Pain Intensity ◽  
Hypertonic Saline ◽  
Muscle Pain ◽  
Primary Motor Cortex ◽  
Motor Evoked Potentials ◽  
Corticomotor Excitability ◽  
Hand Muscles ◽  
First Dorsal Interosseus ◽  
Extensor Carpi Radialis ◽  
Cortical Representations

Experimental muscle pain inhibits corticomotor excitability (CE) of upper limb muscles. It is unknown if this inhibition affects overlapping muscle representations within the primary motor cortex to the same degree. This study explored CE changes of the first dorsal interosseus (FDI) and extensor carpi radialis (ECR) muscles in response to muscle pain. Participants (n=13) attended two sessions (≥48 hours in-between). Hypertonic saline was injected in the ECR (session one) or the FDI (session two) muscle. CE, assessed by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) motor-evoked potentials (MEPs), was recorded at baseline, during pain, and twenty minutes postinjection together with pain intensity ratings. Pain intensity ratings did not differ between the two pain sites (p=0.19). In response to FDI muscle pain, the MEPs of the FDI muscle were reduced at 2 and 4 min postinjection (p≤0.03), but not after ECR muscle pain. No significant MEP change was detected for the ECR muscle (p=0.62). No associations between MEPs and pain intensity were found (p>0.2). The present results indicate that the output from overlapping cortical representations of two muscles differentially adapts to acute muscle pain.

Acute muscle pain alters corticomotor output of the affected muscle stronger than a synergistic, ipsilateral muscle

2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 177-177
Author(s):  
Dennis Boye Larsen ◽  
Thomas Graven-Nielsen ◽  
Rogerio Pessoto Hirata ◽  
Shellie A. Boudreau
Keyword(s):  
Pain Intensity ◽  
Muscle Pain ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Cortical Excitability ◽  
Motor Evoked Potentials ◽  
Post Injection ◽  
Repeated Measures Analysis ◽  
Resting Motor Threshold ◽  
First Dorsal Interosseus ◽  
Extensor Carpi Radialis

Abstract Aims Muscle pain affects corticomotor areas representing the affected muscle, by changing the size of representation and reduces the corticospinal output as assessed by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Less work has been done to understand how pain in one muscle group may affect synergistic ipsilateral muscles distal to the pain. This study aimed to explore the effects of acute extensor carpi radialis (ECR) muscle pain on TMS motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) of the ECR and the first dorsal interosseus (FDI) muscle, which are known to strongly overlap within the corticomotor area. Methods Eight healthy volunteers (1 woman) were injected with hypertonic saline (5.8%, 0.5 mL) into the ECR muscle. Pain intensity was assessed by the visual analogue scale (VAS) every minute for 10 min. TMS was applied at 120% of ECR resting motor threshold, and MEPs were acquired from the ECR and the FDI muscles. At baseline, 10 TMS pulses were delivered. Temporal mapping of ECR and FDI MEPs over 10 min duration was performed by delivering 100 single-pulses of TMS, at 6 s interstimulus-interval. The MEPs for each muscle were averaged at baseline, peak-pain (1 –2 min epoch), and 10 min post-injection Results Pain intensity reduced significantly at 10 min postinjection as compared to peak-pain (P = 0.011). Further, one-way repeated measures analysis of variance revealed that ECR MEPs were altered at peak-pain compared to baseline (P > 0.05), but not 10 min post-injection (P > 0.05). Baseline and 10 min post-injection of ECR MEPs did not differ significantly (P = 0.67). The MEPs of the FDI muscle did not show a similar alteration over time (P = 0.1). Conclusions Despite the overlap between ECR and FDI representations, acute muscle pain of the ECR only significantly altered cortical excitability of the ECR muscle representation.

Intracortical Inhibition During Volitional Inhibition of Prepared Action

2006 ◽  
Vol 95 (6) ◽  
pp. 3371-3383 ◽  
Author(s):  
James P. Coxon ◽  
Cathy M. Stinear ◽  
Winston D. Byblow
Keyword(s):  
Primary Motor Cortex ◽  
Motor Evoked Potentials ◽  
Short Interval ◽  
Intracortical Inhibition ◽  
Corticomotor Excitability ◽  
Hand Muscles ◽  
Cortical Level ◽  
A Site ◽  
Intrinsic Hand Muscles ◽  
Inhibitory Networks

Volitional inhibition is the voluntary prevention of a prepared movement. Here we ask whether primary motor cortex (M1) is a site of convergence of cortical activity associated with movement preparation and volitional inhibition. Volitional inhibition was studied by presenting a stop signal before execution of an anticipated response that requires a key lift to intercept a revolving dial. Motor evoked potentials (MEPs) were elicited in intrinsic hand muscles by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to assess corticomotor excitability and short interval intracortical inhibition (sICI) during task performance. The closer the stop cue was presented to the anticipated response, the harder it was for subjects to inhibit their response. Corticomotor pathway excitability was temporally modulated during volitional inhibition. Using subthreshold TMS, corticomotor excitability was reduced for Stop trials relative to Go trials from 140 ms after the cue. sICI was significantly greater for Stop trials compared with Go trials at a time that preceded the onset of muscle activity associated with the anticipated response. These results provide evidence that volitional inhibition is exerted at a cortical level and that inhibitory networks within M1 contribute to volitional inhibition of prepared action.

Influence of different transcranial magnetic stimulation current directions on the corticomotor control of lumbar erector spinae muscles during a static task

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mikaël Desmons ◽  
Antoine Rohel ◽  
Amélie Desgagnés ◽  
Catherine Mercier ◽  
Hugo Massé-Alarie
Keyword(s):  
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation ◽  
Magnetic Stimulation ◽  
Primary Motor Cortex ◽  
Motor Evoked Potentials ◽  
Erector Spinae ◽  
Recruitment Curve ◽  
Axial Muscles ◽  
Active Motor ◽  
Stimulation Current ◽  
Cortical Representations

Different directions of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) can activate different neuronal circuits. While posteroanterior current (PA-TMS) depolarizes mainly interneurons in primary motor cortex (M1), an anteroposterior current (AP-TMS) has been suggested to activate different M1 circuits and perhaps axons from the premotor regions. Although M1 is also involved in the control of axial muscles, no study has explored if different current directions activate different M1 circuits that may have distinct functional role. The aim of the study was to compare the effect of different current directions (PA- and AP-TMS) on the corticomotor control and spatial cortical organisation of the lumbar erector spinae muscle (LES). Thirthy-four healthy participants were recruited for two independent experiments and LES motor-evoked potentials (MEP) were recorded. In experiment 1 (n=17), active motor threshold (AMT), MEP latencies, recruitment curve (90 to 160% AMT), excitatory and inhibitory intracortical mechanisms using paired-pulse TMS (80% followed by 120% AMT stimuli at 2-3-10 and 15ms inter-stimulus intervals) were tested using a double cone (n=12) and a figure-of-eight (n=5) coils. In experiment 2 (n=17), LES cortical representations were tested using PA- and AP-TMS. AMT was higher for AP- compared to PA-TMS (p=0.002). Longer latencies with AP-TMS were compared to PA-TMS (p=0.017). AP-TMS produced more inhibition compared to PA-TMS at 2ms and 3ms (p=0.010), but no difference was observed for longer intervals. No difference was found for recruitment curve and mapping. Those findings suggest that each PA- and AP-TMS may activate different cortical circuits controlling low back muscles as proposed for hand muscles.

Task-Dependent Modulation of Inputs to Proximal Upper Limb Following Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation of Primary Motor Cortex

2010 ◽  
Vol 103 (5) ◽  
pp. 2382-2389 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lynley V. Bradnam ◽  
Cathy M. Stinear ◽  
Gwyn N. Lewis ◽  
Winston D. Byblow
Keyword(s):  
Motor Cortex ◽  
Upper Limb ◽  
Primary Motor Cortex ◽  
Motor Evoked Potentials ◽  
Silent Period ◽  
Hand Muscles ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Contralateral Hand ◽  
Left And Right ◽  
Period Duration

Cathodal transcranial DC stimulation (c-tDCS) suppresses excitability of primary motor cortex (M1) controlling contralateral hand muscles. This study assessed whether c-tDCS would have similar effects on ipsi- and contralateral M1 projections to a proximal upper limb muscle. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) of left M1 was used to elicit motor evoked potentials (MEPs) in the left and right infraspinatus (INF) muscle immediately before and after c-tDCS of left M1, and at 20 and 40 min, post-c-tDCS. TMS was delivered as participants preactivated each INF in isolation (left, right) or both INF together (bilateral). After c-tDCS, ipsilateral MEPs in left INF and contralateral MEPs in right INF were suppressed in the left task but not in the bilateral or right tasks, indicative of task-dependent modulation. Ipsilateral silent period duration in the left INF was reduced after c-tDCS, indicative of altered transcallosal inhibition. These findings may have implications for the use of tDCS as an adjunct to therapy for the proximal upper limb after stroke.

A neurophysiological basis for the coordination between hand and foot movement

2013 ◽  
Vol 110 (5) ◽  
pp. 1039-1046 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew J. K. McIntyre-Robinson ◽  
Winston D. Byblow
Keyword(s):  
Relative Phase ◽  
Motor Evoked Potentials ◽  
Phase Error ◽  
Short Latency ◽  
Wrist Flexion ◽  
Intracortical Facilitation ◽  
Corticomotor Excitability ◽  
Extensor Carpi Radialis ◽  
Neurophysiological Basis ◽  
Made In

Hand and foot movements are made more reliably when both limbs move in the same direction at the same time (isodirectional) compared with when they are made in opposite directions (anisodirectional). We hypothesized that M1 intracortical facilitation may subserve hand-foot coordination and reveal correlates that explain the preference for hand-foot movements to be performed in an isodirectional pattern. To test our hypothesis we investigated behavioral kinematics of hand-foot coordination ( experiment 1) and neurophysiological measures of corticomotor excitability and intracortical facilitation ( experiment 2) in 17 healthy young adults. As expected, coordination became unstable in the anisodirectional pattern but not the isodirectional pattern, as confirmed in measures of wrist and ankle relative phase error and stability (both P < 0.001). Short-latency paired-pulse TMS was used to elicit motor evoked potentials (MEPs) and produce short-latency intracortical facilitation (sICF) in right extensor carpi radialis (ECR) and flexor carpi radialis (FCR) in the presence and absence of right ankle plantarflexion/dorsiflexion ( P < 0.015). An isodirectional preference was confirmed by facilitation of FCR MEPs and TMS-induced wrist flexion during ankle plantarflexion (both P < 0.025) but no evidence of modulation of any particular “I wave” during foot movement compared with rest. A novel finding was the association between loss of stability of the anisodirectional pattern ( experiment 1) and the modulation of corticomotor excitability in support of the isodirectional pattern ( experiment 2) ( P < 0.05). The preference for isodirectional hand-foot movements appears not to depend on M1 intracortical facilitation.

Corticomotor plasticity and learning of a ballistic thumb training task are diminished in older adults

2009 ◽  
Vol 107 (6) ◽  
pp. 1874-1883 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nigel C. Rogasch ◽  
Tamara J. Dartnall ◽  
John Cirillo ◽  
Michael A. Nordstrom ◽  
John G. Semmler
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Primary Motor Cortex ◽  
Motor Evoked Potentials ◽  
Short Interval ◽  
Intracortical Inhibition ◽  
Training Task ◽  
Abductor Pollicis Brevis ◽  
Corticomotor Excitability ◽  
Old Adults ◽  
Young Subjects

This study examined changes in corticomotor excitability and plasticity after a thumb abduction training task in young and old adults. Electromyographic (EMG) recordings were obtained from right abductor pollicis brevis (APB, target muscle) and abductor digiti minimi (ADM, control muscle) in 14 young (18–24 yr) and 14 old (61–82 yr) adults. The training task consisted of 300 ballistic abductions of the right thumb to maximize peak thumb abduction acceleration (TAAcc). Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) of the left primary motor cortex was used to assess changes in APB and ADM motor evoked potentials (MEPs) and short-interval intracortical inhibition (SICI) before, immediately after, and 30 min after training. No differences in corticomotor excitability (resting and active TMS thresholds, MEP input-output curves) or SICI were observed in young and old adults before training. Motor training resulted in improvements in peak TAAcc in young (177% improvement, P < 0.001) and old (124%, P = 0.005) subjects, with greater improvements in young subjects ( P = 0.002). Different thumb kinematics were observed during task performance, with increases in APB EMG related to improvements in peak TAAcc in young ( r2 = 0.46, P = 0.008) but not old ( r2 = 0.09, P = 0.3) adults. After training, APB MEPs were 50% larger ( P < 0.001 compared with before) in young subjects, with no change after training in old subjects ( P = 0.49), suggesting reduced use-dependent corticomotor plasticity with advancing age. These changes were specific to APB, because no training-related change in MEP amplitude was observed in ADM. No significant association was observed between change in APB MEP and improvement in TAAcc with training in individual young and old subjects. SICI remained unchanged after training in both groups, suggesting that it was not responsible for the diminished use-dependent corticomotor plasticity for this task in older adults.

scholarly journals Changes in corticospinal excitability associated with motor learning by observing

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather R. McGregor ◽  
Michael Vesia ◽  
Cricia Rinchon ◽  
Robert Chen ◽  
Paul L. Gribble
Keyword(s):  
Motor Learning ◽  
Motor Skills ◽  
Primary Motor Cortex ◽  
Motor Evoked Potentials ◽  
Single Pulse ◽  
Abductor Pollicis Brevis ◽  
Functional Changes ◽  
Hand Muscles ◽  
Before And After

AbstractWhile many of our motor skills are acquired through physical practice, we can also learn how to make movements by observing others. For example, individuals can learn how to reach in novel dynamical environments (‘force fields’, FF) by observing the movements of a tutor. Previous neurophysiology and neuroimaging studies in humans suggest a role for the motor system in motor learning by observing. Here we tested the role of primary motor cortex (M1) in motor learning by observing. We used single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to elicit motor evoked potentials (MEPs) in right hand muscles at rest. MEPs were elicited before and after participants observed either a video adapting her reaches to a FF or a control video showing a tutor performing reaches in an unlearnable FF. We predicted that observing motor learning would increase M1 excitability to a greater extent than observing movements that did not involve learning. We found that observing FF learning increased MEP amplitudes recorded from right first dorsal interosseous (FDI) and right abductor pollicis brevis (APB) muscles. There were no changes in MEP amplitudes for control participants who observed a tutor performing reaches in an unlearnable, randomly varying FF. The observed MEP changes can thus be specifically linked to observing motor learning. These results are consistent with the idea that observing motor learning produces functional changes in M1, or corticospinal networks or both.

Effect of Experimental Muscle Pain on Motor Unit Firing Rate and Conduction Velocity

2004 ◽  
Vol 91 (3) ◽  
pp. 1250-1259 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dario Farina ◽  
Lars Arendt-Nielsen ◽  
Roberto Merletti ◽  
Thomas Graven-Nielsen
Keyword(s):  
Firing Rate ◽  
Pain Intensity ◽  
Motor Unit ◽  
Hypertonic Saline ◽  
Conduction Velocity ◽  
Muscle Pain ◽  
Membrane Properties ◽  
Painful Condition ◽  
Firing Rates ◽  
The Right

The aim of this human study was to investigate the relationship between experimentally induced muscle pain intensity (i.e., amount of nociceptive activity) and motor unit (MU) firing decrease and MU conduction velocity (CV). In 12 healthy subjects, nociceptive afferents were stimulated in the right tibialis anterior muscle by three intramuscular injections of hypertonic saline (0.2, 0.5, and 0.9 ml) separated by 140 s. The subjects performed six isometric contractions (20 s long) at 10% of the maximal voluntary contraction during the experimental muscle pain. The same set of six contractions was performed without any infusion before the painful condition on the right leg. The procedure was repeated for the left leg with infusion of isotonic (nonpainful) saline. Intramuscular and surface electromyographic (EMG) signals were collected to assess MU firing rate and CV. The firing rate of the active MUs [range: 7.4-14.8 pulses/s (pps)] did not change significantly in the three control conditions (without infusion for the right and left leg and with infusion of isotonic saline in the left leg). There was, on the contrary, a significant decrease (on average, mean ± SE, 1.03 ± 0.21 pps) of the firing rates during the painful condition. Moreover, MU firing rates were inversely significantly correlated with the subjective scores of pain intensity. Single MU CV was 3.88 ± 0.03 m/s (mean ± SE, over all the MUs) with no statistical difference among any condition, i.e., the injection of hypertonic saline did not alter the muscle fiber membrane properties of the observed MUs. Progressively increased muscle pain intensity causes a gradual decrease of MU firing rates. This decrease is not associated with a change in MU membrane properties, indirectly assessed by CV. This study demonstrates a central inhibitory motor control mechanism with an efficacy correlated to the nociceptive activity.

scholarly journals Cerebellar rTMS and PAS effectively induce cerebellar plasticity

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Martje G. Pauly ◽  
Annika Steinmeier ◽  
Christina Bolte ◽  
Feline Hamami ◽  
Elinor Tzvi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Motor Cortex ◽  
Healthy Subjects ◽  
Primary Motor Cortex ◽  
Cortical Excitability ◽  
Motor Evoked Potentials ◽  
Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation ◽  
Premotor Cortex ◽  
Motor Pathways ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Cerebellar Plasticity

AbstractNon-invasive brain stimulation techniques including repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), continuous theta-burst stimulation (cTBS), paired associative stimulation (PAS), and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) have been applied over the cerebellum to induce plasticity and gain insights into the interaction of the cerebellum with neo-cortical structures including the motor cortex. We compared the effects of 1 Hz rTMS, cTBS, PAS and tDCS given over the cerebellum on motor cortical excitability and interactions between the cerebellum and dorsal premotor cortex / primary motor cortex in two within subject designs in healthy controls. In experiment 1, rTMS, cTBS, PAS, and tDCS were applied over the cerebellum in 20 healthy subjects. In experiment 2, rTMS and PAS were compared to sham conditions in another group of 20 healthy subjects. In experiment 1, PAS reduced cortical excitability determined by motor evoked potentials (MEP) amplitudes, whereas rTMS increased motor thresholds and facilitated dorsal premotor-motor and cerebellum-motor cortex interactions. TDCS and cTBS had no significant effects. In experiment 2, MEP amplitudes increased after rTMS and motor thresholds following PAS. Analysis of all participants who received rTMS and PAS showed that MEP amplitudes were reduced after PAS and increased following rTMS. rTMS also caused facilitation of dorsal premotor-motor cortex and cerebellum-motor cortex interactions. In summary, cerebellar 1 Hz rTMS and PAS can effectively induce plasticity in cerebello-(premotor)-motor pathways provided larger samples are studied.

scholarly journals Effect of opposing needling on motor cortex excitability in healthy participants and in patients with post-stroke hemiplegia: study protocol for a single-blind, randomised controlled trial

Trials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mindong Xu ◽  
Yinyu Zi ◽  
Jianlu Wu ◽  
Nenggui Xu ◽  
Liming Lu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Motor Cortex ◽  
Primary Motor Cortex ◽  
Motor Evoked Potentials ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Secondary Outcome ◽  
Post Stroke ◽  
Motor Cortex Excitability ◽  
Opposing Needling ◽  
Single Blind ◽  
Healthy Participants

Abstract Background Opposing needling has an obvious curative effect in the treatment of post-stroke hemiplegia; however, the mechanism of the opposing needling in the treatment of post-stroke hemiplegia is still not clear. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of opposing needling on the excitability of primary motor cortex (M1) of healthy participants and patients with post-stroke hemiplegia, which may provide insight into the mechanisms of opposing needling in treating post-stroke hemiplegia. Methods This will be a single-blind, randomised, sham-controlled trial in which 80 healthy participants and 40 patients with post-stroke hemiplegia will be recruited. Healthy participants will be randomised 1:1:1:1 to the 2-Hz, 50-Hz, 100-Hz, and sham electroacupuncture groups. Patients with post-stroke hemiplegia will be randomised 1:1 to the opposing needling or conventional treatment groups. The M1 will be located in all groups by using neuroimaging-based navigation. The stimulator coil of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) will be moved over the left and right M1 in order to identify the TMS hotspot, followed by a recording of resting motor thresholds (RMTs) and motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) of the thenar muscles induced by TMS before and after the intervention. The primary outcome measure will be the percent change in the RMTs of the thenar muscles at baseline and after the intervention. The secondary outcome measures will be the amplitude (μV) and latency (ms) of the MEPs of the thenar muscles at baseline and after the intervention. Discussion The aim of this trial is to explore the effect of opposing needling on the excitability of M1 of healthy participants and patients with post-stroke hemiplegia. Trial registration Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR1900028138. Registered on 13 December 2019.

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