BDNF val66met polymorphism is associated with modified experience-dependent plasticity in human motor cortex

• Published in: Nature neuroscience Vol. 9; no. 6; pp. 735 - 737
• Main Authors: Kleim, Jeffrey A, Chan, Sheila, Pringle, Erin, Schallert, Kellan, Procaccio, Vincent, Jimenez, Richard, Cramer, Steven C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Nature Publishing Group US 01.06.2006; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: Adult; Amino Acid Substitution - genetics; Animal Genetics and Genomics; Behavioral Sciences; Biological Techniques; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Brain Mapping; Brain-derived neurotrophic factor; Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor - genetics; brief-communication; Evoked Potentials, Motor - genetics; Female; Genetic polymorphisms; Genotype; Humans; Learning - physiology; Male; Methionine - genetics; Motor Cortex - anatomy & histology; Motor Cortex - physiology; Motor learning; Motor Skills - physiology; Movement - physiology; Nerve Regeneration - genetics; Neural transmission; Neurobiology; Neuronal Plasticity - genetics; Neuroplasticity; Neuropsychological Tests; Neurosciences; Polymorphism; Polymorphism, Genetic - genetics; Recovery of Function - genetics; Regulation; Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation; Valine - genetics; United States; Florida; United States > US; California
• ISSN: 1097-6256; 1546-1726
• DOI: 10.1038/nn1699

Motor training can induce profound physiological plasticity within primary motor cortex, including changes in corticospinal output and motor map topography. Using transcranial magnetic stimulation, we show that training-dependent increases in the amplitude of motor-evoked potentials and motor map reorganization are reduced in healthy subjects with a val66met polymorphism in the brain-derived neurotrophic factor gene ( BDNF ), as compared to subjects without the polymorphism. The results suggest that BDNF is involved in mediating experience-dependent plasticity of human motor cortex.