Fifth Hospital of XiaMen, Xiamen, China.
Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, China.
Front Neural Circuits. 2021 Apr 28;15:675365. doi: 10.3389/fncir.2021.675365. eCollection 2021.
This study explored whether acupuncture affects the maintenance of long-term potentiation (LTP)-like plasticity induced by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and the acquisition of motor skills following repetitive sequential visual isometric pinch task (SVIPT) training.
Thirty-six participants were recruited. The changes in the aftereffects induced by intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS) and followed acupuncture were tested by the amplitude motor evoked potential (MEP) at pre-and-post-iTBS for 30 min and at acupuncture-in and -off for 30 min. Secondly, the effects of acupuncture on SVIPT movement in inducing error rate and learning skill index were tested.
Following one session of iTBS, the MEP amplitude was increased and maintained at a high level for 30 min. The facilitation of MEP was gradually decreased to the baseline level during acupuncture-in and did not return to a high level after needle extraction. The SVIPT-acupuncture group had a lower learning skill index than those in the SVIPT group, indicating that acupuncture intervention after SVIPT training may restrain the acquisition ability of one's learning skills.
Acupuncture could reverse the LTP-like plasticity of the contralateral motor cortex induced by iTBS. Subsequent acupuncture may negatively affect the efficacy of the acquisition of learned skills in repetitive exercise training.
本研究旨在探讨针刺是否会影响经颅磁刺激（TMS）诱导的长时程增强（LTP）样可塑性的维持，以及重复序贯视觉等长捏任务（SVIPT）训练后运动技能的获得。
招募了 36 名参与者。通过在 iTBS 前后 30 分钟和针刺期间和结束时 30 分钟内测试间歇性 theta 爆发刺激（iTBS）和随后针刺引起的后效，测试振幅运动诱发电位（MEP）的变化。其次，测试了针刺对 SVIPT 运动诱导错误率和学习技能指数的影响。
单次 iTBS 后，MEP 幅度增加并维持在 30 分钟的高水平。在针刺期间，MEP 的促进作用逐渐降低至基线水平，并且在针拔出后不会恢复到高水平。SVIPT-针刺组的学习技能指数低于 SVIPT 组，表明 SVIPT 训练后的针刺干预可能会抑制学习技能的获得能力。
针刺可以逆转 iTBS 诱导的对侧运动皮层的 LTP 样可塑性。随后的针刺可能会对重复运动训练中习得技能的获得效果产生负面影响。
