Biology subjects

Lapole, T.

Publications and source records attributed to Lapole, T..

4 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Motor memory under sleep deprivation: Can physical exercise support consolidation?

Sleep deprivation (SD) is increasingly prevalent and known to impair declarative memory, yet its impacts on the acquisition and consolidation of procedural skills remains unknown. Physical exercise has emerged as a promising intervention for promoting learning and plasticity, but its potential to mitigate SD-induced deficits has never been tested. Here, we investigated whether SD disrupts sequential motor learning (SML) and whether high-intensity interval exercise (HIIE) performed after acquisition can influence consolidation. Forty-eight participants were randomly assigned to one of four groups combining one night of SD or normal sleep condition with HIIE or control intervention. SD elevated cortisol and sleepiness without affecting brain-derived neurotrophic factor or corticospinal excitability. Behaviorally, SD selectively impaired the movement time execution of SML acquisition, while HIIE reduced the movement accuracy during consolidation, regardless of sleep condition. These findings reveal a component-specific vulnerability of procedural memory to SD and challenge the assumption that exercise consistently enhances consolidation following motor learning.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2025

High-intensity interval exercise affects explicit sequential motor consolidation with both physical and mental practice

High-intensity interval exercise (HIIE) is known to enhance motor consolidation following physical practice (PP), but its effects on sequential motor learning (SML) through PP or motor imagery (MI) remain unclear. We examined whether HIIE modulates SML consolidation in 48 participants who learned an explicit SML task through PP or MI. Performance was assessed before and after acquisition, after HIIE or rest, and at 24 hours and 7 days. Both PP and MI improved performance, with greater gains for PP (p = 0.042), and both induced intracortical disinhibition (p = 0.03). HIIE increased BDNF (p = 0.044) and lactate levels (p < 0.001), markers typically linked to neuroplasticity, yet unexpectedly impaired SML at early (p < 0.01) and late consolidation (p < 0.05), without affecting excitability. These findings challenge the presumed coupling between exercise-induced biomarkers and behavioral gains, suggesting that HIIE may hinder consolidation when explicit components of motor learning are involved. Significance StatementHIIE is increasingly proposed as a tool to boost neuroplasticity and enhance motor learning. However, whether its benefits extend to all forms of learning remains unclear. Here, we show that both physical and motor imagery practice improve SML and induce intracortical disinhibition, a neurophysiological signature of plasticity. Surprisingly, HIIE impaired SML consolidation at both early and late stages, despite increases in BDNF and lactate, biomarkers typically linked to learning facilitation. This deterioration was observed across both practice modalities and is likely driven by the explicit, cognitively demanding nature of the task. These findings challenge the generalizability of HIIEs beneficial effects and highlight the need to align exercise-based interventions with the specific cognitive-motor demands of the learning task. Such insights are critical for optimizing motor learning strategies in both athletic training and neurorehabilitation.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2022

Wide-pulse electrical stimulation of the quadriceps femoris allows greater maximal evocable torque than conventional stimulation

PurposeThe effectiveness of a neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) program has been shown to be proportional to the maximal evocable torque (MET), which is potentially influenced by pulse characteristics such as duration and frequency. The aim of this study was to compare MET between conventional and wide-pulse NMES at two different frequencies. MethodsMET - expressed as a percentage of maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) torque - and maximal tolerable current intensity (MTCI) were quantified on 71 healthy subjects. The right quadriceps femoris muscle was stimulated with three NMES protocols using different pulse duration/frequency combinations: conventional NMES (0.2 ms/50 Hz; CONV), wide-pulse NMES at 50 Hz (1 ms/50 Hz; WP50) and wide-pulse NMES at 100 Hz (1 ms/100 Hz; WP100). The proportion of subjects reaching the maximal stimulator output (100 mA; MSO) before attaining MTCI was also quantified for each NMES protocol. ResultsThe proportion of subjects attaining MSO was higher for CONV than WP50 and WP100 (30%, 3% and 4%, respectively; p < 0.001). In subjects who did not attain MSO in any protocol, MET was higher for both WP50 and WP100 than for CONV (45% vs 43% vs 39% MVC; p < 0.001). MTCI was lower for both WP50 and WP100 than for CONV (45, 42, and 77 mA, respectively; p < 0.001) and was also lower for WP100 than for WP50. ConclusionWhen compared to conventional NMES, wide-pulse protocols resulted in greater MET, lower MTCI and consequently in a lower proportion of subjects attaining MSO. Overall, this may lead to better NMES training/rehabilitation effectiveness and less practical issues associated with MSO limitations.

physiology↗

bioRxiv2021

Age-related differences in performance and fatigability during an isometric quadriceps intermittent fatigue test

The aim of the present study was to investigate age-related differences in fatigability induced by an isometric quadriceps intermittent fatiguing test in young (<35 years old), old (>60 years old) and very old (>80 years old) men and women. Maximal force loss, contractile function and voluntary activation of the knee extensors were evaluated throughout an isometric fatiguing test using femoral nerve magnetic stimulations. Older adults performed more contractions (index of relative performance) than young (P = 0.046) and very old adults (P = 0.007), without differences between young and very old adults. Total work (absolute performance) was greater for young and old adults compared to very old adults (P < 0.001), without differences between young and old adults. At exhaustion, force loss was greater for young (-28 {+/-} 9%) compared to old adults (-19 {+/-} 8%), but not very old adults (-23 {+/-} 8%). The response to femoral nerve stimulation decreased similarly at exhaustion for the three age groups, indicating similar alteration in contractile function with age. No impairment in voluntary activation was observed. Impairments in neuromuscular parameters were similar for men and women. This study showed that older adults were less fatigable than young adults during an isometric intermittent fatiguing task of the knee extensors. This greater fatigue resistance was not maintained in very old adults independent of sex. Fatigability at exhaustion was likely due to impairments in contractile function for the three age groups.

physiology↗