Catecholaminergic consolidation of motor cortical neuroplasticity in humans

Introduction: Amphetamine, a catecholaminergic re-uptake-blocker, is able to improve neuroplastic mechanisms in humans. However, so far not much is known about the underlying physiological mechanisms. Here, we study the impact of amphetamine on NMDA receptor-dependent excitability modifications in the human motor cortex elicited by weak transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). Methods: tDCS protocols, which elicit motor cortical excitability modifications (a) not lasting longer than the stimulation itself, (b) resulting in short-lasting after-effects and (c) resulting in long-lasting after-effects were ap…