Group for Acupuncture Research, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China (mainland).
Guangzhou Zengcheng District Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China (mainland).
Med Sci Monit. 2024 Jun 10;30:e943748. doi: 10.12659/MSM.943748.
BACKGROUND This study embarked on an innovative exploration to elucidate the effects of integrating electroacupuncture (EA) with motor training (MT) on enhancing corticospinal excitability and motor learning. Central to this investigation is the interplay between homeostatic and non-homeostatic metaplasticity processes, providing insights into how these combined interventions may influence neural plasticity and motor skill acquisition. MATERIAL AND METHODS The investigation enrolled 20 healthy volunteers, subjecting them to 4 distinct interventions to parse out the individual and combined effects of EA and MT. These interventions were EA alone, MT alone, EA-priming followed by MT, and MT-priming followed by EA. The assessment of changes in primary motor cortex (M1) excitability was conducted through motor-evoked potentials (MEPs), while the grooved pegboard test (GPT) was used to evaluate alterations in motor performance. RESULTS The findings revealed that EA and MT independently contributed to enhanced M1 excitability and motor performance. However, the additional priming with EA or MT did not yield further modulation in MEPs amplitudes. Notably, EA-priming was associated with improved GPT completion times, underscoring its potential in facilitating motor learning. CONCLUSIONS The study underscores that while EA and MT individually augment motor cortex excitability and performance, their synergistic application does not further enhance or inhibit cortical excitability. This points to the involvement of non-homeostatic metaplasticity mechanisms. Nonetheless, EA emerges as a critical tool in preventing M1 overstimulation, thereby continuously fostering motor learning. The findings call for further research into the strategic application of EA, whether in isolation or with MT, within clinical settings to optimize rehabilitation outcomes.
背景:本研究创新性地探索了电针(EA)与运动训练(MT)相结合对增强皮质脊髓兴奋性和运动学习的影响。该研究的核心是内稳态和非内稳态形质变化过程的相互作用,深入了解这些联合干预措施如何影响神经可塑性和运动技能获得。
材料和方法:本研究纳入了 20 名健康志愿者,对他们进行了 4 种不同的干预,以分别分析 EA 和 MT 的单独和联合作用。这些干预包括单独的 EA、单独的 MT、EA 预处理后再进行 MT 以及 MT 预处理后再进行 EA。通过运动诱发电位(MEP)评估初级运动皮层(M1)兴奋性的变化,同时使用槽形钉板测试(GPT)评估运动表现的变化。
结果:研究结果表明,EA 和 MT 独立地增强了 M1 兴奋性和运动表现。然而,EA 或 MT 的额外预处理并没有进一步调制 MEP 幅度。值得注意的是,EA 预处理与 GPT 完成时间的改善相关,突出了其在促进运动学习方面的潜力。
结论:本研究强调,虽然 EA 和 MT 单独增强了运动皮层的兴奋性和性能,但它们的协同应用并没有进一步增强或抑制皮质兴奋性。这表明涉及非内稳态形质变化机制。然而,EA 成为防止 M1 过度刺激的关键工具,从而持续促进运动学习。研究结果呼吁进一步研究在临床环境中单独或与 MT 一起应用 EA 的策略,以优化康复效果。
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