Motor Skill Acquisition Promotes Human Brain Myelin Plasticity

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Bimal Lakhani, University of British Columbia; Michael Borich, Emory University; Jacob N. Jackson, University of British Columbia; Katie P. Wadden, University of British Columbia; Sue Peters, University of British Columbia; Anica Villamayor, University of British Columbia; Alex L. MacKay, University of British Columbia; Irene M. Vavasour, University of British Columbia; Alexander Rauscher, University of British Columbia; Lara A. Boyd, University of British Columbia
• Language: English
• Date: 2016-01-01
• Publisher: Hindawi Publishing Corporation
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2016 Bimal Lakhani et al.
• License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2016/7526135
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Neural Plasticity
• ISSN: 2090-5904
• Volume: 2016
• Start Page: 7526135
• End Page: 7526135
• Grant/Funding Information: This study was funded by a grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research [# MOP-106651 to Lara A. Boyd].; Bimal Lakhani is supported by postdoctoral fellowships from the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada and the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research. The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada supported Michael R. Borich. The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and a summer studentship from the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada provided support to Jacob N. Jackson. Sue Peters is supported by a Canadian Institutes of Healthy Research Doctoral Research Award. Alexander Rauscher is supported by the Canada Research Chairs. The Canada Research Chairs and the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research provided salary support to Lara A. Boyd.
• Keywords: WATER FRACTION; STRUCTURAL CONNECTIVITY; ATTENTION; STROKE; DISORDERS; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; WHITE-MATTER; RELAXATION; INTRAPARIETAL SULCUS; PARIETAL CORTEX; MULTIPLE-SCLEROSIS; Neurosciences & Neurology; Neurosciences
• Research Categories: Biology, Neuroscience; Health Sciences, Rehabilitation and Therapy

Abstract

Experience-dependent structural changes are widely evident in gray matter. Using diffusion weighted imaging (DWI), the neuroplastic effect of motor training on white matter in the brain has been demonstrated. However, in humans it is not known whether specific features of white matter relate to motor skill acquisition or if these structural changes are associated to functional network connectivity. Myelin can be objectively quantified in vivo and used to index specific experience-dependent change. In the current study, seventeen healthy young adults completed ten sessions of visuomotor skill training (10,000 total movements) using the right arm. Multicomponent relaxation imaging was performed before and after training. Significant increases in myelin water fraction, a quantitative measure of myelin, were observed in task dependent brain regions (left intraparietal sulcus [IPS] and left parieto-occipital sulcus). In addition, the rate of motor skill acquisition and overall change in myelin water fraction in the left IPS were negatively related, suggesting that a slower rate of learning resulted in greater neuroplastic change. This study provides the first evidence for experience-dependent changes in myelin that are associated with changes in skilled movements in healthy young adults.