Experience-dependent structural plasticity in the adult brain: How the learning brain grows

Schmidt, S.; Gull, Sidra; Herrmann, Karl‐Heinz; Boehme, Marcus; Irintchev, Andrey; Urbach, Anja; Reichenbach, Jürgen R.; Klingner, Carsten M.; Gaser, Christian; Witte, Otto W.

doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117502

Cited by 38 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 70 publications

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“…The absolute volume or numbers of certain neurons may decrease in DCM, but additional space forintercellular connections may be obtained because of the larger intercellular distances, which expand the cell surface in the form of dendrite formation (Graeve et al, 2021 ). Astrocyte reorganization involves distal and proximal structures and cell bodies, which may generate a permissive environment for synaptic plasticity (Schmidt et al, 2021 ). Even the potential neuroprotective effects of preoperative conservative treatment may be possible, but this hypothesis must be investigated in further studies.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Degeneration of the Sensorimotor Tract in Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy and Compensatory Structural Changes in the Brain

Chen

Wang

et al. 2022

Front. Aging Neurosci.

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Degenerative cervical myelopathy is a progressive neurodegenerative disease, that has become increasingly prevalent in the aging population worldwide. The current study determined the factors affecting degeneration in the sensorimotor tract with degenerative cervical myelopathy and its relationship with brain structure. We divided patients into hyperintensity (HS) and non-hyperintensity (nHS) groups and measured the fractional anisotropy and apparent diffusion coefficients of the lateral corticospinal tract (CST), fasciculus gracilis and fasciculus cuneatus (FGC). Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) techniques were used to estimate brain structure changes. Correlation of the modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association (mJOA) score, light touch, pinprick, motor score, and fractional anisotropy (FA) ratios of the CST at different levels were analyzed. Compared to healthy controls, the FA ratios of CST in the HS and nHS groups were decreased at all levels, and the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) ratio was increased only at C4/5 levels in the HS group. The FA ratio of FGC was decreased at the C3/4 and C4/5 levels in the HS group and only decreased at the C4/5 level in the nHS group. The ADC ratio was decreased only at the C4/5 level in the HS group. VBM analysis revealed that the volume of the precentral gyrus, postcentral gyrus, and paracentral lobule increased in patients compared to controls. TBSS analysis found no statistical significance between the sensory and motor tracts in white matter. The volume of clusters in HS and nHS groups negatively correlated with the C1/2 FA ratio of the CST. The results showed that the degeneration distance of the CST was longer than the FGC, and the degeneration distance was related to the degree of compression and spinal cord damage. Structural compensation and the neurotrophin family may lead to enlargement of the brain.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Degeneration of the Sensorimotor Tract in Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy and Compensatory Structural Changes in the Brain

Chen

Wang

et al. 2022

Front. Aging Neurosci.

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“…The finding of increased CT in the visual cortex is, on the other hand, in line with previous reports of early increases in visual CT occurring already over very short periods of visual stimulation 27 , such as that elicited in our sample by the working memory task performed prior to the structural acquisition. Previous studies have suggested that such rapid changes in brain morphology may be ascribed to dendritic spine plasticity in the visual cortex 78 , or to changes in blood flow 27 . However, correcting our analysis for GMBF in the visual cortex did not alter our results, and GMBF and CT of the visual cortex did not correlate, suggesting that GMBF may not be the www.nature.com/scientificreports/ sole contributor to the increased CT in the primary visual cortex.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Higher VO2max is associated with thicker cortex and lower grey matter blood flow in older adults

Olivo

Nilsson

Garzón

et al. 2021

Sci Rep

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VO2max (maximal oxygen consumption), a validated measure of aerobic fitness, has been associated with better cerebral artery compliance and measures of brain morphology, such as higher cortical thickness (CT) in frontal, temporal and cingular cortices, and larger grey matter volume (GMV) of the middle temporal gyrus, hippocampus, orbitofrontal cortex and cingulate cortex. Single sessions of physical exercise can promptly enhance cognitive performance and brain activity during executive tasks. However, the immediate effects of exercise on macro-scale properties of the brain’s grey matter remain unclear. We investigated the impact of one session of moderate-intensity physical exercise, compared with rest, on grey matter volume, cortical thickness, working memory performance, and task-related brain activity in older adults. Cross-sectional associations between brain measures and VO2max were also tested. Exercise did not induce statistically significant changes in brain activity, grey matter volume, or cortical thickness. Cardiovascular fitness, measured by VO2max, was associated with lower grey matter blood flow in the left hippocampus and thicker cortex in the left superior temporal gyrus. Cortical thickness was reduced at post-test independent of exercise/rest. Our findings support that (1) fitter individuals may need lower grey matter blood flow to meet metabolic oxygen demand, and (2) have thicker cortex.

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“…In order to understand neuroanatomical factors that predict VG training success, we focused in our review on measures obtained with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), used to assess the quality of GM (brain morphology) and white matter (integrity of white matter tracts) (see Figure 1A). MRI is commonly used to study the influence of experience on brain structure, due to its high spatial resolution and low invasiveness (Schmidt et al, 2021; for review see Zatorre et al, 2012).…”

Section: Possible Reasons For Inconsistent Results In Studies Of Vide...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Neuroanatomical predictors of complex skill acquisition during video game training

Kovbasiuk

Lewandowska²,

Brzezicka³

et al. 2022

Front. Neurosci.

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It is known that the outcomes of complex video game (VG) skill acquisition are correlated with individual differences in demographic and behavioral variables, such as age, intelligence and visual attention. However, empirical studies of the relationship between neuroanatomical features and success in VG training have been few and far between. The present review summarizes existing literature on gray matter (GM) and white matter correlates of complex VG skill acquisition as well as explores its relationship with neuroplasticity. In particular, since age can be an important factor in the acquisition of new cognitive skills, we present studies that compare different age groups (young and old adults). Our review reveals that GM in subcortical brain areas predicts complex VG learning outcomes in young subjects, whereas in older subjects the same is true of cortical frontal areas. This may be linked to age-related compensatory mechanisms in the frontal areas, as proposed by The Scaffolding Theory of Aging and Cognition. In the case of plasticity, there is no such relationship – in the group of younger and older adults there are changes after training in both cortical and subcortical areas. We also summarize best practices in research on predictors of VG training performance and outline promising areas of research in the study of complex video game skill acquisition.

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Experience-dependent structural plasticity in the adult brain: How the learning brain grows

Cited by 38 publications

References 70 publications

Degeneration of the Sensorimotor Tract in Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy and Compensatory Structural Changes in the Brain

Degeneration of the Sensorimotor Tract in Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy and Compensatory Structural Changes in the Brain

Higher VO2max is associated with thicker cortex and lower grey matter blood flow in older adults

Neuroanatomical predictors of complex skill acquisition during video game training

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