Baclofen, a GABAB Receptor Agonist, Impairs Motor Learning in Healthy People and Changes Inhibitory Dynamics in Motor Areas

Inhibition mediated by γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is implicated in motor plasticity and learning, with [GABA] in the motor cortex decreasing during motor learning. However, the causal relationship between [GABA] and learning has yet to be determined. Here, we conducted a within-subject, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study to investigate the effect of increased GABAergic inhibition via GABAB-receptor agonist baclofen on motor learning and Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopic Imaging (MRSI) metrics. Increasing GABA-mediated inhibition with baclofen did not change response times, but significantly impaired motor sequence learning. In parallel, we demonstrated a blunting of the expected decrease in [GABA] during motor learning. These results highlight a causal role for GABAergic inhibition in motor learning and may have clinical implications: baclofen is commonly used to treat post brain-injury spasticity, but may impair motor learning during rehabilitation.