Transcranial magnetic stimulation was used to evaluate changes in motor cortex excitability after rapid repetitive movements in five healthy subjects aged 23-30 years, by considering the amplitude of motor evoked potentials (MEPs) at rest and after one minute of maximal frequency repetitive abduction-adduction movements of the thumb. In addition, M and F waves were evaluated by stimulating the median nerve at the wrist. All of the examined subjects showed a clear modification in post-exercise MEP amplitudes, with a mean maximal reduction of 50-60% in comparison with basal values and complete recovery after a period of about 35 minutes. The time course of this phenomenon showed a triphasic pattern: (I) a rapid decrease phase up to the fifth minute; (II) a maximal depression phase for a period of about ten minutes; (III) a slow return to basal values. No significant changes were observed in post-exercise M and F waves. These results show the existence of a reversible modulation of the excitability of the upper motor neuron after rapid repetitive movements. It is likely that this modulation takes place at the level of the motor cortex and that its anatomo-functional substrate is represented by the activation of inhibitory intracortical circuits.
