The Motor skills At Playtime intervention improves children's locomotor skills: A feasibility study.

BACKGROUND: Interventions are needed to teach fundamental motor skills (FMS) to preschoolers. There is a need to design more practical and effective interventions that can be successfully implemented by non-motor experts and fit within the existing gross motor opportunities such as outdoor free play at the preschool. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of a non-motor expert FMS intervention that was implemented during outdoor free play, Motor skills At Playtime (MAP). METHODS: Participants were preschoolers from two Head Start centres (N = 46; Mage = 4.7 ± 0.46 years; 41% boys) and were divided into a MAP (n = 30) or control (outdoor free play; n = 16) group. Children completed either a 1,350-min MAP intervention or control condition (outdoor free play) from January to April of 2018. FMS were assessed before and after each programme using both the Test of Gross Motor Development-3rd Edition and skill outcome measures (running speed, hopping speed, jump distance, throwing speed, kicking speed and catching percentage). Intervention implementation feasibility was measured through daily fidelity checks. Fidelity was evaluated as the percentage of intervention sessions that included all explicit intervention criteria. FMS data were analysed using linear mixed modelling. Models were fit with fixed effects of time and treatment, covariates of sex and height, and a random intercept for each individual. RESULTS: The non-motor expert was feasibly able to implement MAP with high fidelity (>93%). There was a significant treatment effect for MAP on process and product locomotor FMS (P < 0.05) and a trend for a treatment effect for MAP on total process FMS (P = 0.07). CONCLUSION: Results support that MAP was successfully implemented by a non-motor expert and led to improvements in children's FMS, especially locomotor FMS.

Verbal working memory modulates afferent circuits in motor cortex.

Verbal instruction and strategies informed by declarative memory are key to performance and acquisition of skilled actions. We previously demonstrated that anatomically distinct sensory-motor inputs converging on the corticospinal neurons of motor cortex are differentially sensitive to visual attention load. However, how loading of working memory shapes afferent input to motor cortex is unknown. This study used short-latency afferent inhibition (SAI) to probe the effect of verbal working memory upon anatomically distinct afferent circuits converging on corticospinal neurons in the motor cortex. SAI was elicited by preceding a suprathreshold transcranial magnetic stimulus (TMS) with electrical stimulation of the median nerve at the wrist while participants mentally rehearsed a two- or six-digit numeric memory set. To isolate different afferent intracortical circuits in motor cortex SAI was elicited, using TMS involving posterior-anterior (PA) or anterior-posterior (AP) monophasic current. Both PA and AP SAI were significantly reduced during maintenance of the six-digit compared to two-digit memory set. The generalized effect of working memory across anatomically distinct circuits converging upon corticospinal neurons in motor cortex is in contrast to the specific sensitivity of AP SAI to increased attention load. The common response across the PA and AP SAI circuits to increased working memory load may reflect an indiscriminate perisomatic mechanism involved in the voluntary facilitation of desired and/or suppression of unwanted actions during action selection or response conflict.

No Seasonal Changes in Cognitive Functioning Among High School Football Athletes: Implementation of a Novel Electrophysiological Measure and Standard Clinical Measures.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate neuroelectric and cognitive function relative to a season of football participation. Cognitive and neuroelectric function declines are hypothesized to be present in football athletes. DESIGN: Observational. SETTING: Athletic fields and research laboratory. PATIENTS (OR PARTICIPANTS): Seventy-seven high school athletes (15.9 + 0.9 years, 178.6 + 7.2 cm, 74.4 + 14.7 kg, and 0.8 + 0.8 self-reported concussions) participating in football (n = 46) and noncontact sports (n = 31). INTERVENTIONS (OR ASSESSMENT OF RISK FACTORS): All athletes completed preseason, midseason, and postseason assessments of cognitive and neuroelectric function, self-reported symptoms, and quality of life. All athletes participated in their respective sports without intervention, while head impact exposure in football athletes was tracked using the Head Impact Telemetry System. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Cognitive performance was based on Cogstate computerized cognitive assessment tool processing speed, attention, learning, working memory speed, and working memory accuracy scores. ElMindA brain network activation amplitude, synchronization, timing and connectivity brain network activation scores demarcated neuroelectric performance. Quality of life was assessed on the Health Behavior Inventory and Satisfaction with Life Scale and symptoms on the SCAT3 inventory. RESULTS: Football and control sport athletes did not show declines in cognitive or neuroelectric function, quality-of-life measures, or symptom reports across a season of sport participation. CONCLUSIONS: These findings refute the notion that routine football participation places athletes at risk for acute cognitive declines. The lack of impairment may be associated with no association with head impacts and cognitive function, increased physical activity offsetting any declines, and/or test sensitivity. How these findings are associated with long-term cognitive function is unknown.

Short theta burst stimulation to left frontal cortex prior to encoding enhances subsequent recognition memory.

Deep semantic encoding of verbal stimuli can aid in later successful retrieval of those stimuli from long-term episodic memory. Evidence from numerous neuropsychological and neuroimaging experiments demonstrate regions in left prefrontal cortex, including left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), are important for processes related to encoding. Here, we investigated the relationship between left DLPFC activity during encoding and successful subsequent memory with transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). In a pair of experiments using a 2-session within-subjects design, we stimulated either left DLPFC or a control region (Vertex) with a single 2-s train of short theta burst stimulation (sTBS) during a semantic encoding task and then gave participants a recognition memory test. We found that subsequent memory was enhanced on the day left DLPFC was stimulated, relative to the day Vertex was stimulated, and that DLPFC stimulation also increased participants' confidence in their decisions during the recognition task. We also explored the time course of how long the effects of sTBS persisted. Our data suggest 2 s of sTBS to left DLPFC is capable of enhancing subsequent memory for items encoded up to 15 s following stimulation. Collectively, these data demonstrate sTBS is capable of enhancing long-term memory and provide evidence that TBS protocols are a potentially powerful tool for modulating cognitive function.

Developmental changes in motor cortex activity as infants develop functional motor skills.

Despite extensive research examining overt behavioral changes of motor skills in infants, the neural basis underlying the emergence of functional motor control has yet to be determined. We used functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to record hemodynamic activity of the primary motor cortex (M1) from 22 infants (11 six month-olds, 11 twelve month-olds) as they reached for an object, and stepped while supported over a treadmill. Based on the developmental systems framework, we hypothesized that as infants increased goal-directed experience, neural activity shifts from a diffused to focal pattern. Results showed that for reaching, younger infants showed diffuse areas of M1 activity that became focused by 12 months. For elicited stepping, younger infants produced much less M1 activity which shifted to diffuse activity by 12 months. Thus, the data suggest that as infants gain goal-directed experience, M1 activity emerges, initially showing a diffuse area of activity, becoming refined as the behavior stabilizes. Our data begin to document the cortical activity underlying early functional skill acquisition.

Role of suspended fiber structural stiffness and curvature on single-cell migration, nucleus shape, and focal-adhesion-cluster length.

It has been shown that cellular migration, persistence, and associated cytoskeletal arrangement are highly dependent on substrate stiffness (modulus: N/m(2) and independent of geometry), but little is known on how cells respond to subtle changes in local geometry and structural stiffness (N/m). Here, using fibers of varying diameter (400, 700, and 1200 nm) and length (1 and 2 mm) deposited over hollow substrates, we demonstrate that single mouse C2C12 cells attached to single suspended fibers form spindle morphologies that are sensitive to fiber mechanical properties. Over a wide range of increasing structural stiffness (2 to 100+ mN/m), cells exhibited decreases in migration speed and average nucleus shape index of ∼57% (from 58 to 25 µm/h) and ∼26% (from 0.78 to 0.58), respectively, whereas the average paxillin focal-adhesion-cluster (FAC, formed at poles) length increased by ∼38% (from 8 to 11 µm). Furthermore, the increase in structural stiffness directly correlates with cellular persistence, with 60% of cells moving in the direction of increasing structural stiffness. At similar average structural stiffness (25 ± 5 mN/m), cells put out longer FAC lengths on smaller diameters, suggesting a conservation of FAC area, and also exhibited higher nucleus shape index and migration speeds on larger-diameter fibers. Interestingly, cells were observed to deform fibers locally or globally through forces applied through the FAC sites and cells undergoing mitosis were found to be attached to the FAC sites by single filamentous tethers. These varied reactions have implications in developmental and disease biology models as they describe a strong dependence of cellular behavior on the cell's immediate mechanistic environment arising from alignment and geometry of fibers.

The effects of verbal and spatial working memory on short- and long-latency sensorimotor circuits in the motor cortex.

Multiple sensorimotor loops converge in the motor cortex to create an adaptable system capable of context-specific sensorimotor control. Afferent inhibition provides a non-invasive tool to investigate the substrates by which procedural and cognitive control processes interact to shape motor corticospinal projections. Varying the transcranial magnetic stimulation properties during afferent inhibition can probe specific sensorimotor circuits that contribute to short- and long-latency periods of inhibition in response to the peripheral stimulation. The current study used short- (SAI) and long-latency (LAI) afferent inhibition to probe the influence of verbal and spatial working memory load on the specific sensorimotor circuits recruited by posterior-anterior (PA) and anterior-posterior (AP) TMS-induced current. Participants completed two sessions where SAI and LAI were assessed during the short-term maintenance of two- or six-item sets of letters (verbal) or stimulus locations (spatial). The only difference between the sessions was the direction of the induced current. PA SAI decreased as the verbal working memory load increased. In contrast, AP SAI was not modulated by verbal working memory load. Visuospatial working memory load did not affect PA or AP SAI. Neither PA LAI nor AP LAI were sensitive to verbal or spatial working memory load. The dissociation of short-latency PA and AP sensorimotor circuits and short- and long-latency PA sensorimotor circuits with increasing verbal working memory load support multiple convergent sensorimotor loops that provide distinct functional information to facilitate context-specific supraspinal control.

A neural tract-inspired conduit for facile, on-demand biopsy of glioblastoma.

Background: A major hurdle to effectively treating glioblastoma (GBM) patients is the lack of longitudinal information about tumor progression, evolution, and treatment response. Methods: In this study, we report the use of a neural tract-inspired conduit containing aligned polymeric nanofibers (i.e., an aligned nanofiber device) to enable on-demand access to GBM tumors in 2 rodent models. Depending on the experiment, a humanized U87MG xenograft and/or F98-GFP+ syngeneic rat tumor model was chosen to test the safety and functionality of the device in providing continuous sampling access to the tumor and its microenvironment. Results: The aligned nanofiber device was safe and provided a high quantity of quality genomic materials suitable for omics analyses and yielded a sufficient number of live cells for in vitro expansion and screening. Transcriptomic and genomic analyses demonstrated continuity between material extracted from the device and that of the primary, intracortical tumor (in the in vivo model). Conclusions: The results establish the potential of this neural tract-inspired, aligned nanofiber device as an on-demand, safe, and minimally invasive access point, thus enabling rapid, high-throughput, longitudinal assessment of tumor and its microenvironment, ultimately leading to more informed clinical treatment strategies.

Retinal Ganglion Cell Axon Fractionation.

Retinal ganglion cell (RGC) axon regeneration in mammals can be stimulated through gene knockouts, pharmacological agents, and biophysical stimulation. Here we present a fractionation method to isolate regenerating RGC axons for downstream analysis using immunomagnetic separation of cholera toxin subunit B (CTB)-bound RGC axons. After optic nerve tissue dissection and dissociation, conjugated CTB is used to bind preferentially to regenerated RGC axons. Anti-CTB antibodies crosslinked to magnetic sepharose beads are used to isolate CTB-bound axons from a nonbound fraction of extracellular matrix and neuroglia. We provide a method of verifying fractionation by immunodetection of conjugated CTB and the RGC marker, Tuj1 (ß-tubulin III). These fractions can be further analyzed with lipidomic methods, such as LC-MS/MS to gather fraction-specific enrichments.

Analyses and Localization of Serotonin and L-DOPA in Ocular Tissues by Imaging Mass Spectrometry.

Imaging mass spectrometry (IMS) allows for visualization of the spatial distribution of proteins, lipids, and other metabolites in a targeted or untargeted approach. The identification of compounds through mass spectrometry combined with the mapping of compound distribution in the sample establishes IMS as a powerful tool for metabolomics. IMS analysis for serotonin will allow researchers to pinpoint areas of deficiencies or accumulations associated with ocular disorders such as serotonin selective reuptake inhibitor optic neuropathy. Furthermore, L-DOPA has shown great promise as a therapeutic approach for disorders such as age-related macular degeneration, and IMS allows for localization, and relative magnitudes, of L-DOPA in the eye. We describe here an end-to-end approach of IMS from sample preparation to data analysis for serotonin and L-DOPA analysis.

Glycerophospholipid Analysis of Optic Nerve Regeneration Models Indicate Potential Membrane Order Changes Associated with the Lipidomic Shifts.

Purpose: Optic nerve (ON) injury causes irreversible degeneration, leading to vision loss that cannot be restored with available therapeutics. Current therapies slow further degeneration but do not promote regeneration. New regenerative factors have been discovered that are successful in vivo. However, the mechanisms of efficient long-distance regeneration are still unknown. Membrane expansion by lipid insertion is an essential regenerative process, so lipid profiles for regenerating axons can provide insight into growth mechanisms. This article's analysis aims to add to the increasingly available ON regeneration lipid profiles and relate it to membrane order/properties. Methods: In this study, we present an analysis of glycerophospholipids, one of the largest axonal lipid groups, from three mammalian ON regeneration lipid profiles: Wnt3a, Zymosan + CPT-cAMP, and Phosphatase/Tensin homolog knockout (PTENKO) at 7 and 14 days post crush (dpc). Significant lipid classes, species, and ontological properties were crossreferenced between treatments and analyzed using Metaboanalyst 5.0 and Lipid Ontology (LION). Membrane order changes associated with significant lipid classes were evaluated by C-Laurdan dye and exogenous lipids provided to a neuroblastoma cell line. Results and Conclusions: At 7 dpc, ONs show increased lysoglycerophospholipids and decreased phosphatidylethanolamines (PEs)/negative intrinsic curvature lipids. At 14 dpc, regenerative treatments show divergence: Wnt3a displays higher lysoglycerophospholipid content, while Zymosan and PTENKO decrease lysoglycerophospholipids and increase phosphatidylcholine (PC)-related species. Membrane order imaging indicates lysoglycerophospholipids decreases membrane order while PE and PC had no significant membrane order effects. Understanding these changes will allow therapeutic development targeting lipid metabolic pathways that can be used for vision loss treatments.

C-Laurdan: Membrane Order Visualization of HEK293t Cells by Confocal Microscopy.

Membrane order is a biophysical characteristic dependent on cellular lipid makeup. Cells regulate the membrane structure as it affects membrane-bound protein activity levels and membrane stability. Spatial organization of membrane lipids, such as lipid rafts, is a proposed theory that has been indirectly measured through polarity-sensitive fluorescent dyes. C-Laurdan is one such dye that penetrates plasma and internal membranes. C-Laurdan is excited by a single 405 nm photon and emits in two distinct ranges depending on membrane order. Herein, we present a protocol for staining HEK293t cells with C-Laurdan and acquiring ratiometric images using a revised ImageJ macro and confocal microscopy. An example figure is provided depicting the effects of methyl-ß-cyclodextrin, known to remove lipid rafts through cholesterol sequestration, on HEK293t cells. Further image analysis can be performed through region of interest (ROI) selection tools.

Combined Peripheral Nerve Stimulation and Controllable Pulse Parameter Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation to Probe Sensorimotor Control and Learning.

Skilled motor ability depends on efficiently integrating sensory afference into the appropriate motor commands. Afferent inhibition provides a valuable tool to probe the procedural and declarative influence over sensorimotor integration during skilled motor actions. This manuscript describes the methodology and contributions of short-latency afferent inhibition (SAI) for understanding sensorimotor integration. SAI quantifies the effect of a convergent afferent volley on the corticospinal motor output evoked by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). The afferent volley is triggered by the electrical stimulation of a peripheral nerve. The TMS stimulus is delivered to a location over the primary motor cortex that elicits a reliable motor-evoked response in a muscle served by that afferent nerve. The extent of inhibition in the motor-evoked response reflects the magnitude of the afferent volley converging on the motor cortex and involves central GABAergic and cholinergic contributions. The cholinergic involvement in SAI makes SAI a possible marker of declarative-procedural interactions in sensorimotor performance and learning. More recently, studies have begun manipulating the TMS current direction in SAI to tease apart the functional significance of distinct sensorimotor circuits in the primary motor cortex for skilled motor actions. The ability to control additional pulse parameters (e.g., the pulse width) with state-of-the-art controllable pulse parameter TMS (cTMS) has enhanced the selectivity of the sensorimotor circuits probed by the TMS stimulus and provided an opportunity to create more refined models of sensorimotor control and learning. Therefore, the current manuscript focuses on SAI assessment using cTMS. However, the principles outlined here also apply to SAI assessed using conventional fixed pulse width TMS stimulators and other forms of afferent inhibition, such as long-latency afferent inhibition (LAI).

Metabolomics dataset of zebrafish optic nerve regeneration after injury.

Zebrafish (Danio rerio) have the capacity for successful adult optic nerve regeneration. In contrast, mammals lack this intrinsic ability and undergo irreversible neurodegeneration seen in glaucoma and other optic neuropathies. Optic nerve regeneration is often studied using optic nerve crush, a mechanical neurodegenerative model. Untargeted metabolomic studies within successful regenerative models are deficient. Evaluation of tissue metabolomic changes in active zebrafish optic nerve regeneration can elucidate prioritized metabolite pathways that can be targeted in mammalian systems for therapeutic development. Female and male (6 month to 1 year old wild type) right zebrafish optic nerves were crushed and collected three days after. Contralateral, uninjured optic nerves were collected as controls. The tissue was dissected from euthanized fish and frozen on dry ice. Samples were pooled for each category (female crush, female control, male crush, male control) and pooled at n = 31 to obtain sufficient metabolite concentrations for analysis. Optic nerve regeneration at 3 days post crush was demonstrated by microscope visualization of GFP fluorescence in Tg(gap43:GFP) transgenic fish. Metabolites were extracted using a Precellys Homogenizer and a serial extraction method: (1) 1:1 Methanol/Water and (2) 8:1:1 Acetonitrile/Methanol/Acetone. Metabolites were analyzed by untargeted liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC MS-MS) profiling using a Q-Exactive Orbitrap instrument coupled with Vanquish Horizon Binary UHPLC LC-MS system. Metabolites were identified and quantified using Compound Discoverer 3.3 and isotopic internal metabolites standards.

Pedestrian- and bicyclist-involved crashes: Associations with spatial factors, pedestrian infrastructure, and equity impacts.

INTRODUCTION: We analyze and compare the factors that influence the fatality of pedestrian and bicyclist involved crashes in New Jersey using available police-reported crash data between 2016 and 2020. Under three percent of crashes involve non-motorists statewide, but these account for about one third of all traffic fatalities in the state. METHODS: Our analysis is broken down into five parts: we (1) analyze the relationship between minority and low-income communities and non-motorist involved crashes; (2) identify spatial differences between non-motorist involved crashes and non-motorist involved fatal crashes; (3) compare the factors affecting fatal pedestrian crashes in New Jersey and in four counties in southern New Jersey for which we have data on pedestrian infrastructure; (4) compare the factors affecting fatal pedestrian crashes and fatal cyclist crashes in New Jersey; and, (5) discuss priority areas for improving safety. RESULTS: Crashes occur disproportionately more often in low-income communities. Moreover, we find that crashes are less likely to be geocoded if they take place in low-income and minority areas, a concerning finding considering that geocoded crashes are of paramount importance in identifying specific corridors for improvement. Light conditions, non-motorist age, posted speed, and vehicle type are significant factors influencing the fatality of non-motorist involved crashes. The proximity to a crosswalk or sidewalk is associated with decreased risk of a fatal crash for pedestrians. Cyclist crashes in low-income neighborhoods were more likely to be fatal - a finding that we attribute to lower access to bicycle facilities in low-income areas. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude with countermeasures, including a call for better data collection.

Analyses and Localization of Phosphatidylcholine and Phosphatidylserine in Murine Ocular Tissue Using Imaging Mass Spectrometry.

Imaging mass spectrometry (IMS) allows for spatial visualization of proteins, lipids, and metabolite distributions in a tissue. Identifying these compounds through mass spectrometry, combined with mapping the compound distribution in the sample in a targeted or untargeted approach, renders IMS a powerful tool for lipidomics. IMS analysis for lipid species such as phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylserine allows researchers to pinpoint areas of lipid deficiencies or accumulations associated with ocular disorders such as age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. Here, we describe an end-to-end IMS approach from sample preparation to data analysis for phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylserine analysis.

Investigating Cerebellar Modulation of Premovement Beta-Band Activity during Motor Adaptation.

Enhancing cerebellar activity influences motor cortical activity and contributes to motor adaptation, though it is unclear which neurophysiological mechanisms contributing to adaptation are influenced by the cerebellum. Pre-movement beta event-related desynchronization (ß-ERD), which reflects a release of inhibitory control in the premotor cortex during movement planning, is one mechanism that may be modulated by the cerebellum through cerebellar-premotor connections. We hypothesized that enhancing cerebellar activity with intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) would improve adaptation rates and increase ß-ERD during motor adaptation. Thirty-four participants were randomly assigned to an active (A-iTBS) or sham cerebellar iTBS (S-iTBS) group. Participants performed a visuomotor task, using a joystick to move a cursor to targets, prior to receiving A-iTBS or S-iTBS, following which they completed training with a 45° rotation to the cursor movement. Behavioural adaptation was assessed using the angular error of the cursor path relative to the ideal trajectory. The results showed a greater adaptation rate following A-iTBS and an increase in ß-ERD, specific to the high ß range (20-30 Hz) during motor planning, compared to S-iTBS, indicative of cerebellar modulation of the motor cortical inhibitory control network. The enhanced release of inhibitory activity persisted throughout training, which suggests that the cerebellar influence over the premotor cortex extends beyond adaptation to other stages of motor learning. The results from this study further understanding of cerebellum-motor connections as they relate to acquiring motor skills and may inform future skill training and rehabilitation protocols.

Isolation of Mitochondrial Lipids and Mass Spectrometric Analysis.

Mitochondria participate in many important metabolic processes in the body. The lipid profile of mitochondria is especially important in membrane regulation and pathway signaling. The isolation and study of these lipids can provide unparalleled information about the mechanisms behind these cellular processes. In this chapter, we describe a protocol to isolate mitochondrial lipids from homogenized murine optic nerves. The lipid extraction was performed using butanol-methanol (BUME) and subsequently analyzed using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Further analysis of the raw data was conducted using LipidSearch™ and MetaboAnalyst 4.0.

Specific sensorimotor interneuron circuits are sensitive to cerebellar-attention interactions.

Background: Short latency afferent inhibition (SAI) provides a method to investigate mechanisms of sensorimotor integration. Cholinergic involvement in the SAI phenomena suggests that SAI may provide a marker of cognitive influence over implicit sensorimotor processes. Consistent with this hypothesis, we previously demonstrated that visual attention load suppresses SAI circuits preferentially recruited by anterior-to-posterior (AP)-, but not posterior-to-anterior (PA)-current induced by transcranial magnetic stimulation. However, cerebellar modulation can also modulate these same AP-sensitive SAI circuits. Yet, the consequences of concurrent cognitive and implicit cerebellar influences over these AP circuits are unknown. Objective: We used cerebellar intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS) to determine whether the cerebellar modulation of sensory to motor projections interacts with the attentional modulation of sensory to motor circuits probed by SAI. Methods: We assessed AP-SAI and PA-SAI during a concurrent visual detection task of varying attention load before and after cerebellar iTBS. Results: Before cerebellar iTBS, a higher visual attention load suppressed AP-SAI, but not PA-SAI, compared to a lower visual attention load. Post-cerebellar iTBS, the pattern of AP-SAI in response to visual attention load, was reversed; a higher visual attention load enhanced AP-SAI compared to a lower visual attention load. Cerebellar iTBS did not affect PA-SAI regardless of visual attention load. Conclusion: These findings suggest that attention and cerebellar networks converge on overlapping AP-sensitive circuitry to influence motor output by controlling the strength of the afferent projections to the motor cortex. This interaction has important implications for understanding the mechanisms of motor performance and learning.

Changes in intracortical excitability after transient ischemic attack are associated with ABCD² score.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: A transient ischemic attack (TIA) is a brief ischemic episode characterized by rapid clinical resolution and not associated with permanent cerebral infarction. Whether changes in intracortical excitability persist and are related to clinical predictors of stroke risk after TIA remains unknown. METHODS: Participants were individuals with clinically resolved motor TIA with no structural lesions and healthy age-matched control participants. Single and paired-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation was used to measure intracortical excitability. Recruitment curves for percent inhibition and facilitation were used to derive excitability thresholds. Correlations between threshold asymmetries and ABCD(2) score were performed. RESULTS: Results showed a significant 3-way interaction with reduced inhibition and enhanced facilitation in the affected compared with unaffected hemisphere after TIA. No significant differences were present in healthy participants. Asymmetries in intracortical inhibition and facilitation were significantly correlated with ABCD(2) score. CONCLUSIONS: The present study is the first, to our knowledge, to demonstrate altered intracortical inhibition and facilitation in the affected hemisphere after TIA. These changes occurred on average 2 weeks after clinical signs of TIA resolved and in the absence of structural lesions and were not present in healthy age-matched control participants. Furthermore, this study is the first, to our knowledge, to report that changes in intracortical excitability after TIA are associated with ABCD(2) score.