Motor cortex excitability changes in mild Alzheimer's disease are reversed by donepezil.

[en] BACKGROUND: Recent neuroimaging studies in humans support the clinical observations that the motor cortex is affected early in the course of Alzheimer's disease (AD). METHODS: We used transcranial magnetic stimulation to measure the active cortical motor threshold (ACMT) in AD patients in the very early stage of the disease, and we explored whether and in which way the pharmacologic manipulation of the cholinergic system could have a direct effect on the excitability of the motor cortex. RESULTS: An increase of the ACMT was observed in AD patients in the early stage in comparison to controls. After 2 months of treatment with donepezil, the threshold did not differ significantly from normal subjects. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest an early functional impairment of cholinergic neurotransmission in AD, which is associated to early changes in the excitability of the motor system.

Disciplines :

Neurology

Author, co-author :

BALLA, Christina

PEPIN, Jean-Louis ; Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Liège - CHU > Neurologie CHR

MAERTENS DE NOORDHOUT, Alain ; Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Liège - CHU > Neurologie CHR

Language :

English

Title :

Motor cortex excitability changes in mild Alzheimer's disease are reversed by donepezil.

Publication date :

2014

Journal title :

Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders

ISSN :

1420-8008

eISSN :

1421-9824

Publisher :

S. Karger

Volume :

Pages :

264-270

Peer reviewed :

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

Available on ORBi :

since 20 March 2015

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