Skilled motor training increases synaptic delivery of AMPA receptors at layers II/III synapses in primary motor cortex

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25750206
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Rehabilitation science/Welfare engineering
• Research Institution: Yamaguchi University
• Principal Investigator: KIDA Hiroyuki 山口大学, 大学院医学系研究科, 助教 (70432739)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: シナプス可塑性 / 運動学習 / 一次運動野

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Synaptic plasticity mediated by AMPA glutamate receptors is highly associated with many types of learning. To analyze plasticity in layers II/III area in primary motor cortex, we subjected rats to a rotor rod test. Motor skill consistently improved within 2 days of training, and we prepared acute brain slices for patch clamp analyses.1-day trained rats exhibited significantly higher AMPA/NMDA ratios and miniature EPSC amplitude than untrained rats, suggesting an increase in postsynaptic AMPA receptors in the early phase of motor learning. Animals trained for 2 days showed a significantly higher miniature EPSC amplitude and frequency than untrained rats. Paired-pulse analysis of evoked EPSC significantly decreased after 2-days training, suggesting increased presynaptic glutamate release at the late phase of learning. Here we revealed that motor training induces dynamic changes in glutamatergic plasticity in layers II/III neurons of the primary motor cortex.

Free Research Field

神経科学