The effects of aging on cortico-spinal excitability and motor memory consolidation

Carla Centeno; Diogo Medeiros; Mikkel Malling Beck; Liav Lugassy; David Fernandez Gonzalez; Jean Francois Nepveu; Marc Roig

doi:10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2018.06.035

The effects of aging on cortico-spinal excitability and motor memory consolidation

Carla Centeno, Diogo Medeiros, Mikkel Malling Beck, Liav Lugassy, David Fernandez Gonzalez, Jean Francois Nepveu, Marc Roig^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

8 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

We investigated whether cortico-spinal excitability (CSE), a marker of synaptic plasticity, is associated with age-related differences in the consolidation of motor memory. Young and older participants practiced a visuomotor tracking task. Skill retention was assessed 8 and 24 hours after motor practice. Transcranial magnetic stimulation applied over the primary motor cortex at rest and during an isometric muscle contraction was used to assess absolute and normalized to baseline CSE at different points after practice. When skill performance was normalized to baseline level, both groups showed similar gains in acquisition, but the young group showed better retention 24 hours after practice. The young group also showed greater absolute CSE assessed during the isometric muscle contraction. Although young participants with greater absolute CSE showed better skill retention, it was the capacity to increase CSE after motor practice, and not absolute CSE, what was associated with skill retention in older participants. Older adults who have the capacity to increase CSE during motor memory consolidation show a better capacity to retain motor skills.

Original language	English
Journal	Neurobiology of Aging
Volume	70
Pages (from-to)	254-264
Number of pages	11
ISSN	0197-4580
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2018.06.035
Publication status	Published - 2018
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

Aging
Cortico-spinal excitability
Motor memory consolidation
Skill learning
Transcranial magnetic stimulation

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10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2018.06.035

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title = "The effects of aging on cortico-spinal excitability and motor memory consolidation",

abstract = "We investigated whether cortico-spinal excitability (CSE), a marker of synaptic plasticity, is associated with age-related differences in the consolidation of motor memory. Young and older participants practiced a visuomotor tracking task. Skill retention was assessed 8 and 24 hours after motor practice. Transcranial magnetic stimulation applied over the primary motor cortex at rest and during an isometric muscle contraction was used to assess absolute and normalized to baseline CSE at different points after practice. When skill performance was normalized to baseline level, both groups showed similar gains in acquisition, but the young group showed better retention 24 hours after practice. The young group also showed greater absolute CSE assessed during the isometric muscle contraction. Although young participants with greater absolute CSE showed better skill retention, it was the capacity to increase CSE after motor practice, and not absolute CSE, what was associated with skill retention in older participants. Older adults who have the capacity to increase CSE during motor memory consolidation show a better capacity to retain motor skills.",

keywords = "Aging, Cortico-spinal excitability, Motor memory consolidation, Skill learning, Transcranial magnetic stimulation",

author = "Carla Centeno and Diogo Medeiros and Beck, {Mikkel Malling} and Liav Lugassy and Gonzalez, {David Fernandez} and Nepveu, {Jean Francois} and Marc Roig",

year = "2018",

doi = "10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2018.06.035",

language = "English",

volume = "70",

pages = "254--264",

journal = "Neurobiology of Aging",

issn = "0197-4580",

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T1 - The effects of aging on cortico-spinal excitability and motor memory consolidation

AU - Centeno, Carla

AU - Medeiros, Diogo

AU - Beck, Mikkel Malling

AU - Lugassy, Liav

AU - Gonzalez, David Fernandez

AU - Nepveu, Jean Francois

AU - Roig, Marc

PY - 2018

Y1 - 2018

N2 - We investigated whether cortico-spinal excitability (CSE), a marker of synaptic plasticity, is associated with age-related differences in the consolidation of motor memory. Young and older participants practiced a visuomotor tracking task. Skill retention was assessed 8 and 24 hours after motor practice. Transcranial magnetic stimulation applied over the primary motor cortex at rest and during an isometric muscle contraction was used to assess absolute and normalized to baseline CSE at different points after practice. When skill performance was normalized to baseline level, both groups showed similar gains in acquisition, but the young group showed better retention 24 hours after practice. The young group also showed greater absolute CSE assessed during the isometric muscle contraction. Although young participants with greater absolute CSE showed better skill retention, it was the capacity to increase CSE after motor practice, and not absolute CSE, what was associated with skill retention in older participants. Older adults who have the capacity to increase CSE during motor memory consolidation show a better capacity to retain motor skills.

AB - We investigated whether cortico-spinal excitability (CSE), a marker of synaptic plasticity, is associated with age-related differences in the consolidation of motor memory. Young and older participants practiced a visuomotor tracking task. Skill retention was assessed 8 and 24 hours after motor practice. Transcranial magnetic stimulation applied over the primary motor cortex at rest and during an isometric muscle contraction was used to assess absolute and normalized to baseline CSE at different points after practice. When skill performance was normalized to baseline level, both groups showed similar gains in acquisition, but the young group showed better retention 24 hours after practice. The young group also showed greater absolute CSE assessed during the isometric muscle contraction. Although young participants with greater absolute CSE showed better skill retention, it was the capacity to increase CSE after motor practice, and not absolute CSE, what was associated with skill retention in older participants. Older adults who have the capacity to increase CSE during motor memory consolidation show a better capacity to retain motor skills.

KW - Aging

KW - Cortico-spinal excitability

KW - Motor memory consolidation

KW - Skill learning

KW - Transcranial magnetic stimulation

U2 - 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2018.06.035

DO - 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2018.06.035

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 30053741

AN - SCOPUS:85050303343

SN - 0197-4580

VL - 70

SP - 254

EP - 264

JO - Neurobiology of Aging

JF - Neurobiology of Aging

ER -

The effects of aging on cortico-spinal excitability and motor memory consolidation

Abstract

Keywords

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