Neuroscience
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Mammalian/mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a serine-threonine kinase that controls several important aspects of mammalian cell function. mTOR activity is modulated by various intra- and extracellular factors; in turn, mTOR changes rates of translation, transcription, protein degradation, cell signaling, metabolism, and cytoskeleton dynamics. mTOR has been repeatedly shown to participate in neuronal development and the proper functioning of mature neurons. Changes in mTOR activity are often observed in nervous system diseases, including genetic diseases (e.g., tuberous sclerosis complex, Pten-related syndromes, neurofibromatosis, and Fragile X syndrome), epilepsy, brain tumors, and neurodegenerative disorders (Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and Huntington's disease). ⋯ As a result, we are gaining knowledge about the ways in which aberrant changes in mTOR activity lead to various nervous system diseases. In this review, we provide a comprehensive view of mTOR in the nervous system, with a special focus on the neuronal functions of mTOR (e.g., control of translation, transcription, and autophagy) that likely underlie the contribution of mTOR to nervous system diseases.
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Review
Neural plasticity during motor learning with motor imagery practice: Review and perspectives.
In the last decade, many studies confirmed the benefits of mental practice with motor imagery. In this review we first aimed to compile data issued from fundamental and clinical investigations and to provide the key-components for the optimization of motor imagery strategy. We focused on transcranial magnetic stimulation studies, supported by brain imaging research, that sustain the current hypothesis of a functional link between cortical reorganization and behavioral improvement. As perspectives, we suggest a model of neural adaptation following mental practice, in which synapse conductivity and inhibitory mechanisms at the spinal level may also play an important role.