Schulz Robert, Zimerman Máximo, Timmermann Jan E, Wessel Maximilian J, Gerloff Christian, Hummel Friedhelm C
Brain Imaging and Neurostimulation (BINS) Laboratory, Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
Brain Imaging and Neurostimulation (BINS) Laboratory, Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
Neurobiol Aging. 2014 Jun;35(6):1404-11. doi: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2013.11.024. Epub 2013 Dec 1.
Impaired motor skill acquisition is a feature of older age. Acquisition of new motor skills requires the interplay between different cortical motor areas. Using diffusion tensor imaging we reconstructed cortico-cortical connections between the primary motor cortex (M1) and secondary motor areas in 11 older and 11 young participants who took part in a motor skill acquisition paradigm with the nondominant left hand. Examining the extent to which tract-related integrity correlated with training gains we found that white matter integrity of fibers connecting contralateral M1 with both contralateral (r = 0.85) and ipsilateral supplementary motor areas (r = 0.92) were positively associated in old participants. Also, fibers connecting contralateral M1 with ipsilateral dorsal premotor (r = 0.82) and fibers connecting ipsilateral dorsal premotor and supplementary motor area (r = 0.88) were positively related to skill acquisition (all p < 0.05). A similar structure-behavior relationship was not present in the young control subjects suggesting a critical role of brain structural integrity for motor learning in healthy aging.
运动技能习得受损是老年期的一个特征。新运动技能的习得需要不同皮质运动区域之间的相互作用。我们使用扩散张量成像技术，在11名老年参与者和11名年轻参与者中重建了初级运动皮层（M1）与次级运动区域之间的皮质-皮质连接，这些参与者用非优势左手参与了一项运动技能习得范式。通过检查与训练增益相关的纤维束完整性程度，我们发现，在老年参与者中，连接对侧M1与对侧（r = 0.85）和同侧辅助运动区域（r = 0.92）的纤维的白质完整性呈正相关。此外，连接对侧M1与同侧背侧运动前区的纤维（r = 0.82）以及连接同侧背侧运动前区和辅助运动区域的纤维（r = 0.88）与技能习得呈正相关（所有p < 0.05）。年轻对照组中不存在类似的结构-行为关系，这表明在健康衰老过程中，脑结构完整性对运动学习具有关键作用。
