Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/1942/33491
Title: Age-related differences of motor cortex plasticity in adults: A transcranial direct current stimulation study
Authors: GHASEMIAN SHIRVAN, Ensiyeh 
Farnad, Leila
Mosayebi-Samani, Mohsen
VERSTRAELEN, Stefanie 
MEESEN, Raf 
Kuo, Min-Fang
Nitsche, Michael A.
Issue Date: 2020
Publisher: ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC
Source: Brain Stimulation, 13 (6) , p. 1588 -1599
Abstract: Background: Cognitive, and motor performance are reduced in aging, especially with respect to acquisition of new knowledge, which is associated with a neural plasticity decline. Animal models show a reduction of long-term potentiation, but not long-term depression, in higher age. Findings in humans are more heterogeneous, with some studies showing respective deficits, but others not, or mixed results, for plasticity induced by non-invasive brain stimulation. One reason for these heterogeneous results might be the inclusion of different age ranges in these studies. In addition, a systematic detailed comparison of the age-dependency of neural plasticity in humans is lacking so far. Objective: We aimed to explore age-dependent plasticity alterations in adults systematically by discerning between younger and older participants in our study. Methods: We recruited three different age groups (Young: 18-30, Pre-Elderly: 50-65, and Elderly: 66 -80 years). Anodal, cathodal, or sham transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) was applied over the primary motor cortex with 1 mA for 15 min to induce neuroplasticity. Cortical excitability was monitored by single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation as an index of plasticity. Results: For anodal tDCS, the results show a significant excitability enhancement, as compared to sham stimulation, for both, Young and the Pre-Elderly groups, while no LTP-like plasticity was obtained in the Elderly group by the applied stimulation protocol. Cathodal tDCS induced significant excitability-diminishing plasticity in all age groups. Conclusion: Our study provides further insight in age-related differences of plasticity in healthy humans, which are similar to those obtained in animal models. The decline of LTP-like plasticity in higher age could contribute to cognitive deficits observed in aging. (C) 2020 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc.
Notes: Nitsche, MA (corresponding author), Leibniz Res Ctr Working Environm & Human Factors, Dept Psychol & Neurosci, Dortmund, Germany.
nitsche@ifado.de
Other: Nitsche, MA (corresponding author), Leibniz Res Ctr Working Environm & Human Factors, Dept Psychol & Neurosci, Dortmund, Germany. nitsche@ifado.de
Keywords: Aging;Neuroplasticity;tDCS;MEP;TMS
Document URI: http://hdl.handle.net/1942/33491
ISSN: 1935-861X
e-ISSN: 1876-4754
DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2020.09.004
ISI #: WOS:000597945200017
Rights: 2020 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
Category: A1
Type: Journal Contribution
Validations: ecoom 2022
Appears in Collections:Research publications

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