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Intense training overcomes effects of the val66met BDNF polymorphism on short-term plasticity

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Abstract

The val66met polymorphism in the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene impacts activity-dependent secretion of BDNF and modifies short-term cortical plasticity. The current study examined whether sustained training overcomes polymorphism effects on short-term plasticity and also examined polymorphism effects on long-term plasticity. Twenty-four subjects completed a 12-day protocol of daily training on a marble navigation task that required intense use of the first dorsal interosseus (FDI) muscle. In parallel, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) mapping was used to assess serial measures of short-term cortical motor map plasticity, plus long-term cortical motor map plasticity, of the cortical FDI map. On Day 1, subjects with the polymorphism did not show significant short-term cortical motor map plasticity over 30 min of FDI activity, but subjects without the polymorphism did. After 5 days of intense training, a genotype-based difference in short-term cortical motor map plasticity was no longer found, as both groups showed short-term plasticity across the 30 min of FDI activity. Also, across 12 days of training, map area decreased significantly, in a manner that did not vary in relation to genotype. Training of sufficient intensity and duration overcomes effects that the val66met polymorphism has on short-term cortical motor map plasticity. The polymorphism-related differences seen with short-term plasticity are not found with long-term cortical motor map plasticity.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health: NS058755 and 5M011 RR-00827-29.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA

    Stephanie A. McHughen, Kristin Pearson-Fuhrhop, Vivian K. Ngo & Steven C. Cramer

  2. Department of Neurology, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA

    Steven C. Cramer

  3. University of California Irvine Medical Center, 101 The City Drive South, Building 53 Room 203, Orange, CA, 92868-4280, USA

    Steven C. Cramer

Authors
  1. Stephanie A. McHughen
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  2. Kristin Pearson-Fuhrhop
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  3. Vivian K. Ngo
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  4. Steven C. Cramer
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Correspondence to Steven C. Cramer.

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McHughen, S.A., Pearson-Fuhrhop, K., Ngo, V.K. et al. Intense training overcomes effects of the val66met BDNF polymorphism on short-term plasticity. Exp Brain Res 213, 415–422 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-011-2791-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-011-2791-z

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