Abstract Details

Title Plasticity of Motor Cortex after Bimanual Piano Training: Towards Practice as a Preventive Strategy?

Topic Behavioral Neurology

Presentation(s) IN11 - (-)

Poster/Presentation
Number 005

Objective

Background Cortical plasticity induced by skill training has been shown to be beneficial to several common movement disorders such as stroke or Parkinson disease. However, the neuronal mechanisms responsible for such cortical changes are still not understood.

Design/Methods 12 right-handed, music-naive subjects underwent a motor training consisting in ten 35-minute sessions, playing an electronic keyboard. Before and after training, subjects underwent hand motor function and neurophysiological assessments using EEG and TMS. The EEG recording aimed at evaluating the mu task-related desynchronization (TRD) during motor performance. TMS, targeting the bilateral abductor pollicis brevis (APB) and abductor digiti minimi (ADM), was performed to obtain resting motor threshold (RMT), amplitude of motor evoked potentials at 120 % RMT, and ipsilateral silent period (ISP) duration during voluntary tonic co-contraction of APB and ADM.

Results All subjects dramatically improved their motor performance. Left hand 9HPT scores improved in every subject. Pre-training, ISP durations were asymmetrical, left ISPs being longer than right ISPs. Post-training, right ISPAPB increased, leading to symmetrical durations. Sensorimotor rhythms activation during bimanual performance became also symmetric, more focal and had a lesser amplitude than in pre-training. These modifications of bilateral motor cortex function were correlated with motor performance.

Conclusions This shows how skill training, even in a short timeframe, can modulate local and inter-hemispheric cortical functioning, sharing similarities with data reported on musicians. The reduced and more symmetrical cortical activation during motor performance was accompanied by a rebalance of interhemispheric inhibition, previously in favor of the dominant hemisphere. These findings bring additional evidence that skilled training has a beneficial effect on motor cortex function and should be considered as a potential preventive strategy to limit the impact of neurological insults.

Authors/Disclosures
Elise Houdayer PRESENTER	No disclosure on file
	No disclosure on file
	No disclosure on file
	No disclosure on file
Rohit Bakshi, MD, FAAN	Dr. Bakshi has received personal compensation in the range of $10,000-$49,999 for serving as a Consultant for EMD Serono. Dr. Bakshi has received personal compensation in the range of $5,000-$9,999 for serving as a Consultant for Sanofi. The institution of Dr. Bakshi has received personal compensation in the range of $10,000-$49,999 for serving as an Editor, Associate Editor, or Editorial Advisory Board Member for Journal of Neuroimaging. The institution of Dr. Bakshi has received research support from Bristol Myers Squibb. The institution of Dr. Bakshi has received research support from EMD Serono. The institution of Dr. Bakshi has received research support from Novartis.
	No disclosure on file
Giancarlo Comi, MD (University Vita-Salute)	Dr. Comi has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving as a Consultant for Janssen. Dr. Comi has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving as a Consultant for Bristol Myers Squibb. Dr. Comi has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving as a Consultant for Novartis. Dr. Comi has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving on a Speakers Bureau for Janssen. Dr. Comi has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving on a Speakers Bureau for Bristol Myers Squibb. Dr. Comi has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving on a Speakers Bureau for Novartis. Dr. Comi has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving on a Speakers Bureau for Aspen Healthcare. Dr. Comi has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving on a Speakers Bureau for Sanofi. Dr. Comi has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving as an Editor, Associate Editor, or Editorial Advisory Board Member for Sanofi. Dr. Comi has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving as an Editor, Associate Editor, or Editorial Advisory Board Member for Rewind.
Letizia M. Leocani, MD (University Vita-Salute San Raffaele, INSPE)	Dr. Leocani has received personal compensation in the range of $0-$499 for serving as a Consultant for Roche . Dr. Leocani has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving as a Consultant for Merck. Dr. Leocani has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving on a Scientific Advisory or Data Safety Monitoring board for Bristol Myers Squibb. Dr. Leocani has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving on a Speakers Bureau for Med-ex learning.

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