A Single Bout of High-Intensity Cardiovascular Exercise Does Not Enhance Motor Performance and Learning of a Visuomotor Force Modulation Task, but Triggers Ipsilateral Task-Related EEG Activity

Acute cardiovascular exercise (aCE) seems to be a promising strategy to improve motor performance and learning. However, results are heterogeneous, and the related neurophysiological mechanisms are not well understood. Oscillatory brain activitiy, such as task-related power (TRPow) in the alpha and beta frequencies, are known neural signatures of motor activity. Here, we tested the effects of aCE on motor performance and learning, along with corresponding modulations in EEG TRPow over the sensorimotor cortex. Forty-five right-handed participants (aged 18–34 years) practiced a visuomotor force-matching (FM) task after either high-intensity (HEG), low-intensity (LEG), or no exercise (control group, CG). Motor performance was assessed immediately, 15 min, 30 min, and 24 h after aCE/control. EEG was measured during the FM task. Results of frequentist and Bayesian statistics revealed that high- and low-intensity aCE had no effect at the behavioral level, adding to the previous mixed results. Interestingly, EEG analyses showed an effect of aCE on the ipsilateral sensorimotor cortex, with a stronger decrease in β-TRPow 15 min after exercise in both groups compared to the CG. Overall, aCE applied before motor practice increased ipsilateral sensorimotor activity, while motor learning was not affected; it remains to be seen whether aCE might affect motor learning in the long run.

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Explicit motor sequence learning after stroke: a neuropsychological study

Experimental Brain Research ◽

10.1007/s00221-021-06141-5 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Cristina Russo ◽

Laura Veronelli ◽

Carlotta Casati ◽

Alessia Monti ◽

Laura Perucca ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Basal Ganglia ◽

Motor Learning ◽

Upper Limb ◽

Motor Recovery ◽

Finger Tapping ◽

Control Group ◽

Stroke Severity ◽

Motor Sequence ◽

Stroke Patients ◽

Motor Practice

AbstractMotor learning interacts with and shapes experience-dependent cerebral plasticity. In stroke patients with paresis of the upper limb, motor recovery was proposed to reflect a process of re-learning the lost/impaired skill, which interacts with rehabilitation. However, to what extent stroke patients with hemiparesis may retain the ability of learning with their affected limb remains an unsolved issue, that was addressed by this study. Nineteen patients, with a cerebrovascular lesion affecting the right or the left hemisphere, underwent an explicit motor learning task (finger tapping task, FTT), which was performed with the paretic hand. Eighteen age-matched healthy participants served as controls. Motor performance was assessed during the learning phase (i.e., online learning), as well as immediately at the end of practice, and after 90 min and 24 h (i.e., retention). Results show that overall, as compared to the control group, stroke patients, regardless of the side (left/right) of the hemispheric lesion, do not show a reliable practice-dependent improvement; consequently, no retention could be detected in the long-term (after 90 min and 24 h). The motor learning impairment was associated with subcortical damage, predominantly affecting the basal ganglia; conversely, it was not associated with age, time elapsed from stroke, severity of upper-limb motor and sensory deficits, and the general neurological condition. This evidence expands our understanding regarding the potential of post-stroke motor recovery through motor practice, suggesting a potential key role of basal ganglia, not only in implicit motor learning as previously pointed out, but also in explicit finger tapping motor tasks.

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Controlled 5-mo aerobic training improves heart rate but not heart rate variability or baroreflex sensitivity

Journal of Applied Physiology ◽

10.1152/jappl.2000.89.5.1825 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 89 (5) ◽

pp. 1825-1829 ◽

Cited By ~ 98

Author(s):

Antti Loimaala ◽

Heikki Huikuri ◽

Pekka Oja ◽

Matti Pasanen ◽

Ilkka Vuori

Keyword(s):

Heart Rate ◽

Heart Rate Variability ◽

Exercise Training ◽

High Intensity ◽

Baroreflex Sensitivity ◽

Aerobic Training ◽

Control Group ◽

Resting Heart Rate ◽

Endurance Time ◽

Low Intensity

Endurance-trained athletes have increased heart rate variability (HRV), but it is not known whether exercise training improves the HRV and baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) in sedentary persons. We compared the effects of low- and high-intensity endurance training on resting heart rate, HRV, and BRS. The maximal oxygen uptake and endurance time increased significantly in the high-intensity group compared with the control group. Heart rate did not change significantly in the low-intensity group but decreased significantly in the high-intensity group (−6 beats/min, 95% confidence interval; −10 to −1 beats/min, exercise vs. control). No significant changes occurred in either the time or frequency domain measures of HRV or BRS in either of the exercise groups. Exercise training was not able to modify the cardiac vagal outflow in sedentary, middle-aged persons.

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The Interactive Effect of Tonic Pain and Motor Learning on Corticospinal Excitability

Brain Sciences ◽

10.3390/brainsci9030063 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (3) ◽

pp. 63 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Erin Dancey ◽

Paul Yielder ◽

Bernadette Murphy

Keyword(s):

Motor Learning ◽

Retention Test ◽

Motor Performance ◽

Magnetic Stimulation ◽

Interactive Effect ◽

Corticospinal Excitability ◽

Acquisition Phase ◽

Control Group ◽

Learning Effects ◽

Tonic Pain

Prior work showed differential alterations in early somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) and improved motor learning while in acute tonic pain. The aim of the current study was to determine the interactive effect of acute tonic pain and early motor learning on corticospinal excitability as measured by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Two groups of twelve participants (n = 24) were randomly assigned to a control (inert lotion) or capsaicin (capsaicin cream) group. TMS input–output (IO) curves were performed at baseline, post-application, and following motor learning acquisition. Following the application of the creams, participants in both groups completed a motor tracing task (pre-test and an acquisition test) followed by a retention test (completed without capsaicin) within 24–48 h. Following an acquisition phase, there was a significant increase in the slope of the TMS IO curves for the control group (p < 0.05), and no significant change for the capsaicin group (p = 0.57). Both groups improved in accuracy following an acquisition phase (p < 0.001). The capsaicin group outperformed the control group at pre-test (p < 0.005), following an acquisition phase (p < 0.005), and following a retention test (p < 0.005). When data was normalized to the pre-test values, the learning effects were similar for both groups post-acquisition and at retention (p < 0.005), with no interactive effect of group. The acute tonic pain in this study was shown to negate the increase in IO slope observed for the control group despite the fact that motor performance improved similarly to the control group following acquisition and retention. This study highlights the need to better understand the implications of neural changes accompanying early motor learning, particularly while in pain.

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Sensorimotor cortex beta oscillations reflect motor skill learning ability after stroke

Brain Communications ◽

10.1093/braincomms/fcaa161 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Svenja Espenhahn ◽

Holly E Rossiter ◽

Bernadette C M van Wijk ◽

Nell Redman ◽

Jane M Rondina ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Motor Learning ◽

Sensorimotor Cortex ◽

Motor Skill ◽

Motor Performance ◽

Skill Learning ◽

Motor Skill Learning ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Stroke Patients ◽

Beta Oscillations ◽

And Performance

Abstract Recovery of skilled movement after stroke is assumed to depend on motor learning. However, the capacity for motor learning and factors that influence motor learning after stroke have received little attention. In this study, we first compared motor skill acquisition and retention between well-recovered stroke patients and age- and performance-matched healthy controls. We then tested whether beta oscillations (15–30 Hz) from sensorimotor cortices contribute to predicting training-related motor performance. Eighteen well-recovered chronic stroke survivors (mean age 64 ± 8 years, range: 50–74 years) and 20 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were trained on a continuous tracking task and subsequently retested after initial training (45–60 min and 24 h later). Scalp electroencephalography was recorded during the performance of a simple motor task before each training and retest session. Stroke patients demonstrated capacity for motor skill learning, but it was diminished compared to age- and performance-matched healthy controls. Furthermore, although the properties of beta oscillations prior to training were comparable between stroke patients and healthy controls, stroke patients did show less change in beta measures with motor learning. Lastly, although beta oscillations did not help to predict motor performance immediately after training, contralateral (ipsilesional) sensorimotor cortex post-movement beta rebound measured after training helped predict future motor performance, 24 h after training. This finding suggests that neurophysiological measures such as beta oscillations can help predict response to motor training in chronic stroke patients and may offer novel targets for therapeutic interventions.

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Effect of experimental muscle pain on the acquisition and retention of locomotor adaptation: different motor strategies for a similar performance

Journal of Neurophysiology ◽

10.1152/jn.00411.2017 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 119 (5) ◽

pp. 1647-1657 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Jason Bouffard ◽

Sauro E. Salomoni ◽

Catherine Mercier ◽

Kylie Tucker ◽

Jean-Sébastien Roy ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Motor Learning ◽

Muscle Pain ◽

Motor Performance ◽

Control Group ◽

Motor Impairments ◽

Pain Group ◽

Locomotor Adaptation ◽

Experimental Muscle Pain ◽

Movement Error ◽

Motor Strategies

As individuals with musculoskeletal disorders often experience motor impairments, contemporary rehabilitation relies heavily on the use of motor learning principles. However, motor impairments are often associated with pain. Although there is substantial evidence that muscle pain interferes with motor control, much less is known on its impact on motor learning. The objective of the present study was to assess the effects of muscle pain on locomotor learning. Two groups (Pain and Control) of healthy participants performed a locomotor adaptation task (robotized ankle-foot orthosis perturbing ankle movements during swing) on two consecutive days. On day 1 (acquisition), hypertonic saline was injected in the tibialis anterior (TA) muscle of the Pain group participants, while Control group participants were pain free. All participants were pain free on day 2 (retention). Changes in movement errors caused by the perturbation were assessed as an indicator of motor performance. Detailed analysis of kinematic and electromyographic data provided information about motor strategies. No between-group differences were observed on motor performance measured during the acquisition and retention phases. However, Pain group participants had a residual movement error later in the swing phase and smaller early TA activation than Control group participants, thereby suggesting a reduction in the use of anticipatory motor strategies to overcome the perturbation. Muscle pain did not interfere with global motor performance during locomotor adaptation. The different motor strategies used in the presence of muscle pain may reflect a diminished ability to anticipate the consequences of a perturbation. NEW & NOTEWORTHY This study shows that experimental muscle pain does not influence global motor performance during the acquisition or next-day retention phases of locomotor learning. This contrasts with previous results obtained with cutaneous pain, emphasizing the risk of directly extrapolating from one pain modality to another. Muscle pain affected motor strategies used when performing the task, however: it reduced the ability to use increased feedforward control to overcome the force field.

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The effects of isometric resistance training on stretch reflex induced tremor in the knee extensor muscles

Journal of Applied Physiology ◽

10.1152/japplphysiol.00917.2011 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 114 (12) ◽

pp. 1647-1656 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Rade Durbaba ◽

Angela Cassidy ◽

Francesco Budini ◽

Andrea Macaluso

Keyword(s):

Resistance Training ◽

High Intensity ◽

Stretch Reflex ◽

Knee Extensor ◽

Training Group ◽

Control Group ◽

Force Matching ◽

Level Of Activity ◽

Extensor Muscles ◽

Knee Extensor Muscles

This study examines the effect of 4 wk of high-intensity isometric resistance training on induced tremor in knee extensor muscles. Fourteen healthy volunteers were assigned to either the training group ( n = 7) or the nontraining control group ( n = 7). Induced tremor was assessed by measuring force fluctuations during anisometric contractions against spring loading, whose compliance was varied to allow for preferential activation of the short or long latency stretch reflex components. Effects of high-intensity isometric resistance training on induced tremor was assessed under two contraction conditions: relative force matching, where the relative level of activity was equal for both pre- and post-training sessions, set at 30% maximum voluntary contraction (MVC), and absolute force matching, where the level of activity was set to 30% pretrained MVC. The training group experienced a 26.5% increase in MVC in contrast to the 0.8% for the control group. For relative force-matching contractions, induced tremor amplitude and frequency did not change in either the training or control group. During absolute force-matching contractions, induced tremor amplitude was decreased by 37.5% and 31.6% for the short and long components, respectively, with no accompanying change in frequency, for the training group. No change in either measure was observed in the control group for absolute force-matching contractions. The results are consistent with high-intensity isometric resistance training induced neural changes leading to increased strength, coupled with realignment of stretch reflex automatic gain compensation to the new maximal force output. Also, previous reported reductions in anisometric tremor following strength training may partly be due to changed stretch reflex behavior.

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The effect of overweight stereotype threat on children’s motor learning

Psihologija ◽

10.2298/psi200413036r ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 36-36

Author(s):

Maryam Rabeinia ◽

Esmaeel Saemi ◽

Rasool Abedanzadeh

Keyword(s):

Motor Learning ◽

Stereotype Threat ◽

Retention Test ◽

Motor Performance ◽

Individual Characteristics ◽

Acquisition Phase ◽

Control Group ◽

And Control

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of overweight stereotype threat on children?s motor learning. Twenty-four children (Mage = 9.25 ? 0.53 years) were conveniently selected and randomly assigned into two groups of stereotype threat (with emphasis on individual characteristics, namely, overweight) and control group. The task consisted of maintaining the balance on the stabilometer during 30-second trials. One trial in the pre-test, 10 trials in the acquisition phase and 5 trials in the retention test were run. The findings revealed lower motor learning among the overweight stereotype group compared to the control group. Therefore, it is suggested that in similar situations, coaches can reduce stereotype threat emphasizing on the ineffectiveness of individual characteristics, i.e., overweight on motor performance of children thereby prevent performance and learning disruptions.

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The application of high intensity and low intensity magnetotherapy in rehabilitation of patients with COVID-19 - a randomized controlled pilot study.

Physical and rehabilitation medicine, medical rehabilitation ◽

10.36425/rehab50236 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 322-328

Author(s):

Eiena Silantyeva

Keyword(s):

Electromagnetic Field ◽

High Intensity ◽

Severe Pneumonia ◽

Clinical Effectiveness ◽

Rehabilitation Medicine ◽

Outpatient Rehabilitation ◽

Control Group ◽

Low Intensity ◽

Therapeutic Exercises ◽

Rehabilitation Measures

Background: rehabilitation of patients after severe pneumonia associated with the new coronavirus infection requires the searching for effective tools to restore impaired functions, including methods of hardware physiotherapy. Aims: to evaluate the effectiveness of the application of high-intensity electromagnetic field (HIEF) in rehabilitation of patients after pneumonia associated with COVID-19. Materials and methods: 40 patients were examined and treated at the outpatient stage of rehabilitation after severe pneumonia associated with COVID-19. All patients received a set of rehabilitation measures, including daily sessions of therapeutic exercises (No. 15) and magnetotherapy procedures (No. 15). Patients were randomly separated into 2 groups - 20 patients in the treatment group (TG) who received HIEF therapy (BTL-6000 Super Inductive System) and 20 patients in the control group (CG) who received low-intensity magnetotherapy (BTL-4000 Premium device). Results: during the course of therapy, there were no patients who dropped out of the study, and no undesirable side effects and complications were identified. The high clinical effectiveness of the complex of rehabilitation measures has been proven, more pronounced in the group of patients receiving HIEF therapy. The results were confirmed by reliable dynamics of clinical indicators according to the valid questionnaire and positive changes in spirometry data. Conclusions: application of high-intensity electromagnetic field (HIEF) is advisable in complex outpatient rehabilitation of patients after severe pneumonia associated with COVID-19 . Keywords: COVID-19, pneumonia, magnetotherapy, high-intensity electromagnetic field, physical and rehabilitation medicine.

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Simultaneous Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis of Flavonoids from Ultraviolet-B Radiation in Leaves and Roots ofScutellaria baicalensisGeorgi Using LC-UV-ESI-Q/TOF/MS

Journal of Analytical Methods in Chemistry ◽

10.1155/2014/643879 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 2014 ◽

pp. 1-9 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Wen-Ting Tang ◽

Min-Feng Fang ◽

Xiao Liu ◽

Ming Yue

Keyword(s):

Qualitative Analysis ◽

High Intensity ◽

Herbal Medicines ◽

Antibacterial Activities ◽

Ultraviolet B ◽

Control Group ◽

Low Intensity ◽

Leaves And Roots ◽

Intensity Radiation ◽

Tof Ms

Scutellaria baicalensisGeorgi is one of the most widely used traditional Chinese herbal medicines. It has been used for anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antibacterial activities, and so forth. Long-term enhanced ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation caused more effect on leaves than on roots of the plant. Liquid chromatography-ultraviolet detection coupled with electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-UV-ESI-Q/TOF/MS) method was applied for simultaneous quantitative and qualitative analysis of flavonoids in leaves and roots ofS. baicalensisby enhanced UV-B radiation. Both low-intensity radiation and high-intensity radiation were not significantly increaseing the contents of baicalin, wogonoside, and wogonin in roots. However different intensity of radiation has different effects on several flavonoids in leaves. Both low-intensity radiation and high-intensity radiation had no significant effect on contents of baicalin and tectoridin in leaves; the content of scutellarin was significantly decreased by low-intensity radiation; chrysin was detected in low-intensity radiation and high-intensity radiation, and chrysin content is the highest in low-intensity radiation, but chrysin was not detected in control group. Different changes of different flavonoids under enhanced UV-B radiation indicate that induction on flavonoids is selective by enhanced UV-B radiation.

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Optimizing Bowling Performance

Journal of Motor Learning and Development ◽

10.1123/jmld.2019-0017 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 (2) ◽

pp. 233-244 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Reza Abdollahipour ◽

Ludvík Valtr ◽

Gabriele Wulf

Keyword(s):

Motor Learning ◽

Learning Theory ◽

Motor Performance ◽

Autonomy Support ◽

Control Group ◽

External Focus ◽

Future Performance ◽

Optimal Theory ◽

Key Variables ◽

Neutral Conditions

The present study examined the influence on motor performance of key variables described in the OPTIMAL (Optimizing Performance Through Intrinsic Motivation and Attention for Learning) theory of motor learning: enhanced expectancies for future performance, autonomy support, and an external focus. Participants performed a nine-pin bowling task. In the optimized group, enhanced expectancies, autonomy support, and an external focus were implemented on three successive blocks of 12 trials. In the control group, participants performed all trials under “neutral” conditions. The optimized group outperformed the control group on all blocks. The findings corroborate the importance of key variables in the OPTIMAL theory by demonstrating immediate benefits of their implementation for motor performance.

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