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Differential adaptation of descending motor tracts in musicians.

ABSTRACT: Between-group comparisons of musicians and nonmusicians have revealed structural brain differences and also functional differences in motor performance. In this study, we aimed to examine the relation between white matter microstructure and high-level motor skills by contrasting 2 groups of musicians with different instrument-specific motor requirements. We used diffusion tensor imaging to compare diffusivity measures of different corticospinal motor tracts of 10 keyboard players, 10 string players, and 10 nonmusicians. Additionally, the maximal tapping rates of their left and right index fingers were determined. When compared with nonmusicians, fractional anisotropy (FA) values of right-hemispheric motor tracts were significantly higher in both musician groups, whereas left-hemispheric motor tracts showed significantly higher FA values only in the keyboard players. Voxel-wise FA analysis found a group effect in white matter underlying the right motor cortex. Diffusivity measures of fibers originating in the primary motor cortex correlated with the maximal tapping rate of the contralateral index finger across all groups. The observed between-group diffusivity differences might represent an adaptation to the specific motor demands of the respective musical instrument. This is supported further by finding correlations between diffusivity measures and maximal tapping rates.

SUBMITTER: Ruber T

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4428294 | biostudies-other | 2015 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other

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Differential adaptation of descending motor tracts in musicians.

Rüber Theodor T Lindenberg Robert R Schlaug Gottfried G

Cerebral cortex (New York, N.Y. : 1991) 20131219 6

Between-group comparisons of musicians and nonmusicians have revealed structural brain differences and also functional differences in motor performance. In this study, we aimed to examine the relation between white matter microstructure and high-level motor skills by contrasting 2 groups of musicians with different instrument-specific motor requirements. We used diffusion tensor imaging to compare diffusivity measures of different corticospinal motor tracts of 10 keyboard players, 10 string play ...[more]

PMID: 24363265

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Project description:The formation of mature spinal motor circuits is dependent on both activity-dependent and independent mechanisms during postnatal development. During this time, reorganization and refinement of spinal sensorimotor circuits occurs as supraspinal projections are integrated. However, specific features of postnatal spinal circuit development remain poorly understood. This study provides the first detailed characterization of rat spinal sensorimotor circuit development in the presence and absence of descending systems. We show that the development of proprioceptive afferent input to motoneurons (MNs) and Renshaw cells (RCs) is disrupted by thoracic spinal cord transection at postnatal day 5 (P5TX). P5TX also led to malformation of GABApre neuron axo-axonic contacts on Ia afferents and of the recurrent inhibitory circuit between MNs and RCs. Using a novel in situ perfused preparation for studying motor control, we show that malformation of these spinal circuits leads to hyperexcitability of the monosynaptic reflex. Our results demonstrate that removing descending input severely disrupts the development of spinal circuits and identifies key mechanisms contributing to motor dysfunction in conditions such as cerebral palsy and spinal cord injury.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Acquisition of mature behavior during postnatal development correlates with the arrival and maturation of supraspinal projections to the spinal cord. However, we know little about the role that descending systems play in the maturation of spinal circuits. Here, we characterize postnatal development of key spinal microcircuits in the presence and absence of descending systems. We show that formation of these circuits is abnormal after early (postnatal day 5) removal of descending systems, inducing hyperexcitability of the monosynaptic reflex. The study is a detailed characterization of spinal circuit development elucidating how these mechanisms contribute to motor dysfunction in conditions such as cerebral palsy and spinal cord injury. Understanding these circuits is crucial to developing new therapeutics and improving existing ones in such conditions.

Dataset Information

Differential adaptation of descending motor tracts in musicians.

Publications

Differential adaptation of descending motor tracts in musicians.

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