Constant-random practice and motor learning: Effects of constant practice amount and the manipulation of motor task requirements

The purpose of this research was to investigate the effects of different amount of constant practice, prior to random practice with manipulation of motor requirements of the task, in the adaptive process in motor learning. The task consisted of pressing five buttons sequentially in conjunction with visual stimulation provided by a coincident timing apparatus in complex tasks. Different sequential response patterns were performed during the random practice. Thirty-three children aged between 10 and 12 randomly assigned to three groups performed different amounts of constant practice: C-R, C-R33%, and C-R66%. The data were analyzed in respect to the timing coincident (absolute, variable, and constant errors) and measures of invariant (relative timing and relative peak force) and variant (overall absolute movement time and peak force) aspects of the movement pattern. The results showed similar performance among groups and that the C-R66% group adapted by modifying the macrostructure.

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Effects of self-controlled knowledge of performance on motor learning and self-efficacy: A kinematic study

Biomedical Human Kinetics ◽

10.2478/bhk-2021-0023 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

pp. 187-196

Author(s):

Rezvaneh Makki ◽

Maryam Abdoshahi ◽

Saeed Ghorbani

Keyword(s):

Motor Learning ◽

Self Efficacy ◽

Repeated Measures ◽

Statistical Tests ◽

Motor Task ◽

Movement Pattern ◽

Self Control ◽

Acquisition Phase ◽

Dart Throwing ◽

Coordination Patterns

Abstract Study aim: To evaluate the effects of providing the learners with self-controlled knowledge of performance (KP) on motor learning and self-efficacy (SE) in a dart-throwing motor task. Material and methods: The participants were thirty female university students who were divided into two groups including self-control and yoked groups. Participants performed five blocks of five trials in the acquisition phase, and retention and transfer tests of 10 trials one day later. Intra-limb coordination patterns (movement pattern), throwing scores, and SE (both movement pattern and movement outcome) were measured as dependent variables. Independent t test and one-way ANOVA with repeated measures were used as statistical tests. Results: The self-controlled group performed significantly better than yoked group on movement pattern during the acquisition phase (F1,28 = 24.239, p = 0.001) and the retention test (t28 = –3.074, p = 0.007). However, there were no significant differences between groups in terms of throwing scores and SE during the acquisition, retention, and transfer phases (all p > 0.05). Conclusion: Providing self-controlled KP can improve learning of movement pattern in the novices but do not necessary increase movement outcome or SE.

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Constant-Random Practice and the Adaptive Process in Motor Learning with Varying Amounts of Constant Practice

Perceptual and Motor Skills ◽

10.2466/pms.110.2.442-452 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 110 (2) ◽

pp. 442-452 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Umberto Cesar Corrêa ◽

Marcela Massigli ◽

João Augusto de Camargo Barros ◽

Lúcia Afonso Gonçalves ◽

Jorge Alberto de Oliveira ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Motor Learning ◽

Adaptive Process ◽

Constant Practice

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Neurophysiological changes in the visuomotor network after practicing a motor task

Journal of Neurophysiology ◽

10.1152/jn.00020.2018 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 120 (1) ◽

pp. 239-249 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

James E. Gehringer ◽

David J. Arpin ◽

Elizabeth Heinrichs-Graham ◽

Tony W. Wilson ◽

Max J. Kurz

Keyword(s):

Motor Learning ◽

Motor Planning ◽

Motor Task ◽

Force Production ◽

Oscillatory Activity ◽

Matching Task ◽

Force Output ◽

Motor Action ◽

Visuomotor Transformations ◽

Target Matching

Although it is well appreciated that practicing a motor task updates the associated internal model, it is still unknown how the cortical oscillations linked with the motor action change with practice. The present study investigates the short-term changes (e.g., fast motor learning) in the α- and β-event-related desynchronizations (ERD) associated with the production of a motor action. To this end, we used magnetoencephalography to identify changes in the α- and β-ERD in healthy adults after participants practiced a novel isometric ankle plantarflexion target-matching task. After practicing, the participants matched the targets faster and had improved accuracy, faster force production, and a reduced amount of variability in the force output when trying to match the target. Parallel with the behavioral results, the strength of the β-ERD across the motor-planning and execution stages was reduced after practice in the sensorimotor and occipital cortexes. No pre/postpractice changes were found in the α-ERD during motor planning or execution. Together, these outcomes suggest that fast motor learning is associated with a decrease in β-ERD power. The decreased strength likely reflects a more refined motor plan, a reduction in neural resources needed to perform the task, and/or an enhancement of the processes that are involved in the visuomotor transformations that occur before the onset of the motor action. These results may augment the development of neurologically based practice strategies and/or lead to new practice strategies that increase motor learning. NEW & NOTEWORTHY We aimed to determine the effects of practice on the movement-related cortical oscillatory activity. Following practice, we found that the performance of the ankle plantarflexion target-matching task improved and the power of the β-oscillations decreased in the sensorimotor and occipital cortexes. These novel findings capture the β-oscillatory activity changes in the sensorimotor and occipital cortexes that are coupled with behavioral changes to demonstrate the effects of motor learning.

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Abstract T P123: Non-invasive Brain Stimulation for Motor Function of Chronic Stroke Patients

Stroke ◽

10.1161/str.45.suppl_1.tp123 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 45 (suppl_1) ◽

Author(s):

Eunhee Park ◽

Tae Gun Kwon ◽

Won Hyuk Chang ◽

Yun-Hee Kim

Keyword(s):

Motor Function ◽

Brain Stimulation ◽

Movement Time ◽

Motor Task ◽

Chronic Stroke ◽

Stroke Patients ◽

Dual Mode ◽

Simultaneous Application ◽

Corticomotor Excitability ◽

Cathodal Tdcs

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of dual-mode noninvasive brain stimulation (NBS) by combining transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the unaffected primary motor cortex (uM1) and high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) over the affected M1 (aM1) on motor functions and corticomotor excitability in chronic stroke patients. Methods: Seventeen chronic stroke patients (12 men; mean age 58.7 years; 12 infarctions and 5 hemorrhages) participated in this double blinded random-order crossover study. All participants received three randomly arranged, dual-mode stimulations with 24 hours of washout period; Condition 1, simultaneous application of 10 Hz rTMS over the aM1 and cathodal tDCS over the uM1; Condition 2, simultaneous application of 10 Hz rTMS over the M1a and anodal tDCS over the uM1; Condition 3, 10 Hz rTMS over the aM1 and sham tDCS over the uM1. Corticomotor excitability using motor evoked potential (MEP) amplitude and hand motor functions using the sequential motor task were assessed before and after stimulation. Results: MEP amplitude was significantly increased after condition 1 and 3, respectively (p<0.05). The changes of MEP amplitude were significantly higher in condition 1 than condition 2 (p<0.05). In sequential motor task, the movement time was significantly decreased after condition 1 and 3, respectively (p<0.05). The change of movement time was significantly larger in condition 1 than the other conditions (p<0.05). Conclusions: Simultaneous stimulation of cathodal tDCS over the uM1 produced enhancement of 10 Hz rTMS effect over the aM1 in patients with stroke. These results suggest the dual-mode NBS as a method of enhancing motor function probably by inducing interhemispheric interaction of bilateral primary motor cortices in chronic stroke patients (Supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea grant (No.2011-0016960) and a KOSEF grant (M10644000022-06N4400-02210)).

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Dual contributions of cerebellar-thalamic networks to learning and offline consolidation of a complex motor task

10.1101/2020.08.27.270330 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Andres P Varani ◽

Romain W Sala ◽

Caroline Mailhes-Hamon ◽

Jimena L Frontera ◽

Clément Léna ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Motor Learning ◽

Motor Task ◽

Cerebellar Nuclei ◽

Specific Inhibition ◽

Thalamic Nuclei ◽

Related Information ◽

Midline Thalamus ◽

Ventral Thalamus ◽

Complex Motor ◽

Offline Processing

SUMMARYThe contribution of cerebellum to motor learning is often considered to be limited to adaptation, a short-timescale tuning of reflexes and previous learned skills. Yet, the cerebellum is reciprocally connected to two main players of motor learning, the motor cortex and the basal ganglia, via the ventral and midline thalamus respectively. Here, we evaluated the contribution of cerebellar neurons projecting to these thalamic nuclei in a skilled locomotion task in mice. In the cerebellar nuclei, we found task-specific neuronal activities during the task, and lasting changes after the task suggesting an offline processing of task-related information. Using pathway-specific inhibition, we found that dentate neurons projecting to the midline thalamus contribute to learning and retrieval, while interposed neurons projecting to the ventral thalamus contribute to the offline consolidation of savings. Our results thus show that two parallel cerebello-thalamic pathways perform distinct computations operating on distinct timescales in motor learning.

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Motor learning and transfer: from feedback to feedforward control

10.1101/845933 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Rodrigo S. Maeda ◽

Paul L. Gribble ◽

J. Andrew Pruszynski

Keyword(s):

Motor Learning ◽

Muscle Activity ◽

Shoulder Joint ◽

Stretch Reflex ◽

Feedforward Control ◽

Motor Task ◽

Joint Torques ◽

Motor Commands ◽

Shoulder Muscle ◽

Long Latency

AbstractPrevious work has demonstrated that when learning a new motor task, the nervous system modifies feedforward (ie. voluntary) motor commands and that such learning transfers to fast feedback (ie. reflex) responses evoked by mechanical perturbations. Here we show the inverse, that learning new feedback responses transfers to feedforward motor commands. Sixty human participants (34 females) used a robotic exoskeleton and either 1) received short duration mechanical perturbations (20 ms) that created pure elbow rotation or 2) generated self-initiated pure elbow rotations. They did so with the shoulder joint free to rotate (normal arm dynamics) or locked (altered arm dynamics) by the robotic manipulandum. With the shoulder unlocked, the perturbation evoked clear shoulder muscle activity in the long-latency stretch reflex epoch (50-100ms post-perturbation), as required for countering the imposed joint torques, but little muscle activity thereafter in the so-called voluntary response. After locking the shoulder joint, which alters the required joint torques to counter pure elbow rotation, we found a reliable reduction in the long-latency stretch reflex over many trials. This reduction transferred to feedforward control as we observed 1) a reduction in shoulder muscle activity during self-initiated pure elbow rotation trials and 2) kinematic errors (ie. aftereffects) in the direction predicted when failing to compensate for normal arm dynamics, even though participants never practiced self-initiated movements with the shoulder locked. Taken together, our work shows that transfer between feedforward and feedback control is bidirectional, furthering the notion that these processes share common neural circuits that underlie motor learning and transfer.

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Learning the same motor task twice impairs its retention in a time- and dose-dependent manner

Proceedings of The Royal Society B Biological Sciences ◽

10.1098/rspb.2020.2556 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 288 (1942) ◽

pp. 20202556

Author(s):

R. Hamel ◽

L. Dallaire-Jean ◽

É. De La Fontaine ◽

J. F. Lepage ◽

P. M. Bernier

Keyword(s):

Motor Learning ◽

Refractory Period ◽

Motor Task ◽

Dependent Manner ◽

Learning Session ◽

Concurrent Learning ◽

Performance Improvements ◽

Dependent Process ◽

Initial Learning ◽

Dose Dependent

Anterograde interference emerges when two differing tasks are learned in close temporal proximity, an effect repeatedly attributed to a competition between differing task memories. However, recent development alternatively suggests that initial learning may trigger a refractory period that occludes neuroplasticity and impairs subsequent learning, consequently mediating interference independently of memory competition. Accordingly, this study tested the hypothesis that interference can emerge when the same motor task is being learned twice, that is when competition between memories is prevented. In a first experiment, the inter-session interval (ISI) between two identical motor learning sessions was manipulated to be 2 min, 1 h or 24 h. Results revealed that retention of the second session was impaired as compared to the first one when the ISI was 2 min but not when it was 1 h or 24 h, indicating a time-dependent process. Results from a second experiment replicated those of the first one and revealed that adding a third motor learning session with a 2 min ISI further impaired retention, indicating a dose-dependent process. Results from a third experiment revealed that the retention impairments did not take place when a learning session was preceded by simple rehearsal of the motor task without concurrent learning, thus ruling out fatigue and confirming that retention is impaired specifically when preceded by a learning session. Altogether, the present results suggest that competing memories is not the sole mechanism mediating anterograde interference and introduce the possibility that a time- and dose-dependent refractory period—independent of fatigue—also contributes to its emergence. One possibility is that learning transiently perturbs the homeostasis of learning-related neuronal substrates. Introducing additional learning when homeostasis is still perturbed may not only impair performance improvements, but also memory formation.

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Effects of Multiple Sessions of Cathodal Priming and Anodal HD-tDCS on Visuo Motor Task Plateau Learning and Retention

Brain Sciences ◽

10.3390/brainsci10110875 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (11) ◽

pp. 875 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Pierre Besson ◽

Makii Muthalib ◽

Christophe De Vassoigne ◽

Jonh Rothwell ◽

Stephane Perrey

Keyword(s):

Motor Learning ◽

Motor Task ◽

Controlled Study ◽

Anodal Tdcs ◽

Retention Performance ◽

Baseline Training ◽

Double Blind ◽

Trade Off ◽

The Impact ◽

Speed Accuracy

A single session of priming cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) prior to anodal tDCS (c-a-tDCS) allows cumulative effects on motor learning and retention. However, the impact of multiple sessions of c-a-tDCS priming on learning and retention remains unclear. Here, we tested whether multiple sessions of c-a-tDCS (over 3 consecutive days) applied over the left sensorimotor cortex can further enhance motor learning and retention of an already learned visuo-motor task as compared to anodal tDCS (a-tDCS) or sham. In a between group and randomized double-blind sham-controlled study design, 25 participants separated in 3 independent groups underwent 2 days of baseline training without tDCS followed by 3-days of training with both online and offline tDCS, and two retention tests (1 and 14 days later). Each training block consisted of five trials of a 60 s circular-tracing task intersected by 60 s rest, and performance was assessed in terms of speed–accuracy trade-off represented notably by an index of performance (IP). The main findings of this exploratory study were that multiple sessions of c-a-tDCS significantly further enhanced IP above baseline training levels over the 3 training days that were maintained over the 2 retention days, but these learning and retention performance changes were not significantly different from the sham group. Subtle differences in the changes in speed–accuracy trade-off (components of IP) between c-a-tDCS (maintenance of accuracy over increasing speed) and a-tDCS (increasing speed over maintenance of accuracy) provide preliminary insights to a mechanistic modulation of motor performance with priming and polarity of tDCS.

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Acupuncture Enhances Effective Connectivity between Cerebellum and Primary Sensorimotor Cortex in Patients with Stable Recovery Stroke

Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine ◽

10.1155/2014/603909 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 2014 ◽

pp. 1-9 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Zijing Xie ◽

Fangyuan Cui ◽

Yihuai Zou ◽

Lijun Bai

Keyword(s):

Motor Learning ◽

Sensorimotor Cortex ◽

Effective Connectivity ◽

Motor Task ◽

Stroke Patients ◽

Movement Coordination ◽

Subacute Stroke ◽

Primary Sensorimotor Cortex ◽

Recovery Stroke ◽

Hemiparetic Stroke

Recent neuroimaging studies have demonstrated that stimulation of acupuncture at motor-implicated acupoints modulates activities of brain areas relevant to the processing of motor functions. This study aims to investigate acupuncture-induced changes in effective connectivity among motor areas in hemiparetic stroke patients by using the multivariate Granger causal analysis. A total of 9 stable recovery stroke patients and 8 healthy controls were recruited and underwent three runs of fMRI scan: passive finger movements and resting state before and after manual acupuncture stimuli. Stroke patients showed significantly attenuated effective connectivity between cortical and subcortical areas during passive motor task, which indicates inefficient information transmissions between cortical and subcortical motor-related regions. Acupuncture at motor-implicated acupoints showed specific modulations of motor-related network in stroke patients relative to healthy control subjects. This specific modulation enhanced bidirectionally effective connectivity between the cerebellum and primary sensorimotor cortex in stroke patients, which may compensate for the attenuated effective connectivity between cortical and subcortical areas during passive motor task and, consequently, contribute to improvement of movement coordination and motor learning in subacute stroke patients. Our results suggested that further efficacy studies of acupuncture in motor recovery can focus on the improvement of movement coordination and motor learning during motor rehabilitation.

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