Training induces changes in white-matter architecture

Abstract

Although experience-dependent structural changes have been found in adult gray matter, there is little evidence for such changes in white matter. Using diffusion imaging, we detected a localized increase in fractional anisotropy, a measure of microstructure, in white matter underlying the intraparietal sulcus following training of a complex visuo-motor skill. This provides, to the best of our knowledge, the first evidence for training-related changes in white-matter structure in the healthy human adult brain.

Figure 1

FA increases after juggling training. (a) Colored voxels represent clusters (corrected p<0.05) of significant FA increase from scan 1 to scan 2, superimposed on the mean FA map. (b) Mean FA change from scan 1 from within the cluster shown in (a). Error bars represent standard errors. (*significant relative to baseline at p<0.05; IPS=intraparietal sulcus, POS=parieto-occipital sulcus.)

Figure 2

Gray matter density increases after juggling training. (a-d) Red-yellow voxels represent clusters (p<0.05, corrected) of significant gray matter density increase from scan 1 to scan 2, superimposed on the MNI template. Sagittal (a), coronal (c) and axial (d) slices, and a surface rendering (b) are shown. (d) includes the white matter changes (blue, thickened for visibility) for comparison. (e) Mean gray matter density changes from scan 1 from within the clusters shown in (a-d). Error bars represent standard errors. (*significant at p<0.05 relative to scan 1; CAL=calcarine sulcus, IPS=intraparietal sulcus, POS=parieto-occipital sulcus, TOS=transverse occipital sulcus.)