Strengthening the GABAergic System Through Neurofeedback Training Suppresses Implicit Motor Learning

Tomoya Gyoda; Ippei Nojima; Su-Chuan Lin; Satoko Koganemaru; Tatsuya Mima; Shigeo Tanabe; Ying-Zu Huang

doi:10.1016/j.neuroscience.2022.02.002

Strengthening the GABAergic System Through Neurofeedback Training Suppresses Implicit Motor Learning

Neuroscience. 2022 Apr 15:488:112-121. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2022.02.002. Epub 2022 Feb 8.

Authors

Tomoya Gyoda¹, Ippei Nojima², Su-Chuan Lin³, Satoko Koganemaru⁴, Tatsuya Mima⁵, Shigeo Tanabe⁶, Ying-Zu Huang⁷

Affiliations

¹ Neuroscience Research Center and Department of Neurology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
² Division of Physical Therapy, Shinshu University School of Health Sciences, Matsumoto, Nagano, Japan. Electronic address: nojima@shinshu-u.ac.jp.
³ Neuroscience Research Center and Department of Neurology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan; Medical School, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
⁴ Department of Regenerative Systems Neuroscience,Human Brain Research Center,Graduate school of Medicine, Kyoto University, Japan.
⁵ Graduate School of Core Ethics and Frontier Sciences, Ritsumeikan University, Kyoto, Japan.
⁶ Faculty of Rehabilitation, School of Health Sciences, Fujita Health University, Aichi, Japan.
⁷ Neuroscience Research Center and Department of Neurology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan; Medical School, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan; Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, National Central University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.

PMID: 35149145
DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2022.02.002

Abstract

Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) activity within the primary motor cortex (M1) is essential for motor learning in cortical plasticity, and a recent study has suggested that real-time neurofeedback training (NFT) can self-regulate GABA activity. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of GABA activity strengthening via NFT on subsequent motor learning. Thirty-six healthy participants were randomly assigned to either an NFT group or control group, which received sham feedback. GABA activity was assessed for short intracortical inhibition (SICI) within the right M1 using paired-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation. During the NFT intervention period, the participants tried to modulate the size of a circle, which was altered according to the degree of SICI in the NFT group. However, the size was altered independently of the degree of SICI in the control group. We measured the reaction time before, after (online learning), and 24 h after (offline learning) the finger-tapping task. Results showed the strengthening of GABA activity induced by the NFT intervention, and the suppression of the online but not the offline learning. These findings suggest that prior GABA activity modulation may affect online motor learning.

Keywords: neural plasticity; primary motor cortex; serial reaction time task; short intracortical inhibition; transcranial magnetic stimulation.

Publication types

Randomized Controlled Trial
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Evoked Potentials, Motor / physiology
Humans
Motor Cortex* / physiology
Neural Inhibition / physiology
Neurofeedback*
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation / methods
gamma-Aminobutyric Acid

Substances

gamma-Aminobutyric Acid