Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Volume 89, Issue 9 , Pages 1633-1641 , September 2008

Levodopa Improves Procedural Motor Learning in Chronic Stroke Patients

  • Nina Rösser, MA

      Affiliations

    • Department of Neurology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
    • ,
  • Peter Heuschmann, MD, MPH

      Affiliations

    • Institute of Epidemiology and Social Medicine, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
    • ,
  • Heike Wersching, MD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Neurology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
    • ,
  • Caterina Breitenstein, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Neurology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
    • IMF Münster, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
    • ,
  • Stefan Knecht, MD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Neurology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
    • ,
  • Agnes Flöel, MD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Neurology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
    • IMF Münster, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
    • Corresponding Author InformationReprint requests to Agnes Flöel, MD, Dept of Neurology, University of Münster, Albert-Schweitzer-Str 33, 48149 Münster, Germany

  • Image Result

    Overview of the study design: (A) Prestudy day: examination and familiarization; (B) study day 1: dose 1 (left) and dose 2 (right); and (C) study day 2: dose 3 and motor tasks. Abbreviations: PA, psyc

    Overview of the study design: (A) Prestudy day: examination and familiarization; (B) study day 1: dose 1 (left) and dose 2 (right); and (C) study day 2: dose 3 and motor tasks. Abbreviations: PA, psychophysical assessment, taken every 30 minutes, starting at time 0 after medication, including systolic and diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, PANAS, and side effects (fatigue, dizziness, nausea); post, posttraining.

  • Image Result
    The procedural motor learning task. The left side of the figure shows a patient performing the procedural motor learning task. Patients sat in front of a monitor and were asked to press the key on a s

    The procedural motor learning task. The left side of the figure shows a patient performing the procedural motor learning task. Patients sat in front of a monitor and were asked to press the key on a special keypad corresponding to a given asterisk on the screen as fast as possible. The right side of the figure shows the schematic setup of the task. Note that the correct button in the presented arrangement is highlighted in gray.

  • Image Result
    Results for procedural motor learning (procedural motor learning task). Abbreviation: RT, reaction time. Note that conditions differed significantly in block 2, the primary outcome measure, with large

    Results for procedural motor learning (procedural motor learning task). Abbreviation: RT, reaction time. Note that conditions differed significantly in block 2, the primary outcome measure, with larger procedural motor learning in the levodopa condition. Error bars indicate the standard error of the mean. *P<.05.

  • Image Result
    Reaction times to random elements (procedural motor learning task). Abbreviation: RT, reaction time. Note that the overall reaction time did not differ between conditions in block 2. Error bars indica

    Reaction times to random elements (procedural motor learning task). Abbreviation: RT, reaction time. Note that the overall reaction time did not differ between conditions in block 2. Error bars indicate the standard error of the mean.

  • Image Result
    Results of the finger-tapping task. Error bars indicate the standard error of the mean.

    Results of the finger-tapping task. Error bars indicate the standard error of the mean.

 Supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (grant no. FL 379-4/1), the Bundesministerium für Forschung und Bildung (grant no. 01GW0520), the Innovative Medizinische Forschung Münster (grant nos. FL110605, KN520301), and the Volkswagen Stiftung (grant no. Az I/80 708).

 No commercial party having a direct financial interest in the results of the research supporting this article has or will confer a benefit on the authors or on any organization with which the authors are associated.

PII: S0003-9993(08)00434-6

doi: 10.1016/j.apmr.2008.02.030

Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Volume 89, Issue 9 , Pages 1633-1641 , September 2008

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