S14-4. Possibility of a useful intervention of exercise induced by muscle fatigue to change excitabilities of corticospinal and cortico-cortical tracts for functional recovery in neurorehabilitation

Motor learning and synaptic plasticity in the cortex are enhanced by interventions that reduce the effectiveness of GABAergic intracortical inhibition. The disinhibition of SICI by muscle fatigue could enhance synaptic plasticity and improve the consolidation of motor learning. We found that the corticospinal excitability and SICI decrease after exhaustive muscle contraction or muscle fatigue. It seems possible that decreased SICI can enhance synaptic plasticity if motor learning or skill training is combined with muscle fatigue. Interestingly, fatigue in muscles on the opposite side of the body or in lower limb muscles reduces the corticospinal excitability and disinhibit SICI in non-exercised arm or upper limb muscles during the recovery period. It is possible that muscle fatigue of the unaffected hands can act indirectly and positively on the motor function of affected hands in patients with chronic stroke and that we imagine incorporating such a technique in treatment of stroke, by inducing muscle fatigue in non-paretic lower limbs prior to neurorehabilitation of paretic upper limbs. Muscle fatigue can influence corticospinal and cortico-cortical excitability in various areas of motor cortex directly or indirectly and may be able to improve task performance in a bimanual motor skill.
Source: Clinical Neurophysiology - Category: Neuroscience Authors: Tags: Society Proceedings Source Type: research