Modifying motor learning through gating and homeostatic metaplasticity

Synaptic plasticity in the motor cortex is involved at least in some forms of motor learning. Recent evidence showed that the extent of practice-dependent plasticity in the motor cortex can be purposefully enhanced by experimental manipulation. One way of improving motor learning is to transiently increase the excitability of the motor cortex during motor learning. This can be achieved by weakening the excitability of intracortical inhibitory circuits concurrently with practice. This principle is being referred to as gating. Another strategy to boost learning is to decrease the threshold for induction of synaptic plasticity by lowering neuronal activity in the motor cortex before practice. This approach invokes homeostatic metaplasticity. Here we highlight how transcranial brain stimulation can exploit gating and homeostatic metaplasticity to enhance motor learning in healthy subjects and in patients after stroke. (C) 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.