Studies on Motor Learning : I Facilitation and Interference in Motor Performance on Arms-Legs Coordination

An experimental study was conducted to demonstrate the value of a procedure for analyzing motor performance data. A sample of 156 subjects practiced on two instruments for motor learning while arousal data were recorded. Each set of data was submitted to an analysis of principal components and four components resulted for each set of data. Similarity coefficients were calculated for pairs of component matrices after rotation to maximum similarity. The similarity coefficients exhibit a consistent pattern which provides meaningful information concerning influence of experimental conditions on performance data.

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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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Hemispheric Differences in the Relationship Between Corticomotor Excitability Changes Following a Fine-Motor Task and Motor Learning

Journal of Neurophysiology ◽

10.1152/jn.00595.2003 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 91 (4) ◽

pp. 1570-1578 ◽

Cited By ~ 100

Author(s):

Michael I. Garry ◽

Gary Kamen ◽

Michael A. Nordstrom

Keyword(s):

Motor Learning ◽

Motor Performance ◽

Fine Motor ◽

Hemispheric Differences ◽

Corticomotor Excitability ◽

Hand Muscles ◽

Right Hand ◽

Left And Right ◽

The Right ◽

Intrinsic Hand Muscles

Motor performance induces a postexercise increase in corticomotor excitability that may be associated with motor learning. We investigated whether there are hemispheric differences in the extent and/or time course of changes in corticomotor excitability following a manipulation task (Purdue pegboard) and their relationship with motor performance. Single- and paired-pulse (3 ms) transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) was used to assess task-induced facilitation of the muscle evoked potential (MEP) and intracortical inhibition (ICI) for three intrinsic hand muscles acting on digits 1, 2, and 5. Fifteen right-handed subjects performed three 30-s pegboard trials with left or right hand in separate sessions. TMS was applied to contralateral motor cortex before and after performance. Number of pegs placed was higher with the right hand, and performance improved (motor learning) with both hands over the three trials. MEP facilitation following performance was short-lasting (<15 min), selective for muscles engaged in gripping the pegs, and of similar magnitude in left and right hands. ICI was reduced immediately following performance with the right hand, but not the left. The extent of MEP facilitation was positively correlated with motor learning for the right hand only. We conclude that the pegboard task induces a selective, short-lasting change in excitability of corticospinal neurons controlling intrinsic hand muscles engaged in the task. Only left hemisphere changes were related to motor learning. This asymmetry may reflect different behavioral strategies for performance improvement with left and right upper limb in this task or hemispheric differences in the control of skilled hand movements.

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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 effect of early musical training on adult motor performance: evidence for a sensitive period in motor learning

Experimental Brain Research ◽

10.1007/s00221-006-0619-z ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 176 (2) ◽

pp. 332-340 ◽

Cited By ~ 76

Author(s):

Donald Watanabe ◽

Tal Savion-Lemieux ◽

Virginia B. Penhune

Keyword(s):

Motor Learning ◽

Motor Performance ◽

Musical Training ◽

Sensitive Period

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Motor learning and its sensory effects: time course of perceptual change and its presence with gradual introduction of load

Journal of Neurophysiology ◽

10.1152/jn.00734.2011 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 109 (3) ◽

pp. 782-791 ◽

Cited By ~ 35

Author(s):

Andrew A. G. Mattar ◽

Mohammad Darainy ◽

David J. Ostry

Keyword(s):

Motor Learning ◽

Force Field ◽

Motor Performance ◽

Time Course ◽

Sensory Perception ◽

Learning Task ◽

Perceptual Change ◽

Sensory Effects ◽

Gradual Introduction ◽

Lateral Displacements

A complex interplay has been demonstrated between motor and sensory systems. We showed recently that motor learning leads to changes in the sensed position of the limb (Ostry DJ, Darainy M, Mattar AA, Wong J, Gribble PL. J Neurosci 30: 5384–5393, 2010). Here, we document further the links between motor learning and changes in somatosensory perception. To study motor learning, we used a force field paradigm in which subjects learn to compensate for forces applied to the hand by a robotic device. We used a task in which subjects judge lateral displacements of the hand to study somatosensory perception. In a first experiment, we divided the motor learning task into incremental phases and tracked sensory perception throughout. We found that changes in perception occurred at a slower rate than changes in motor performance. A second experiment tested whether awareness of the motor learning process is necessary for perceptual change. In this experiment, subjects were exposed to a force field that grew gradually in strength. We found that the shift in sensory perception occurred even when awareness of motor learning was reduced. These experiments argue for a link between motor learning and changes in somatosensory perception, and they are consistent with the idea that motor learning drives sensory change.

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Modulation of premotor cortex response to sequence motor learning during escitalopram-intake

10.1101/2020.05.19.20105346 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Eoin N Molloy ◽

Karsten Mueller ◽

Nathalie Beinhoelzl ◽

Maria Bloechl ◽

Fabian Piecha ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Motor Learning ◽

Motor Performance ◽

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors ◽

Cortical Plasticity ◽

Premotor Cortex ◽

Learning Performance ◽

Adaptive Plasticity ◽

Controlled Study ◽

Double Blind ◽

Negative Findings

The contribution of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) to motor learning by inducing motor cortical plasticity remains controversial given diverse findings from positive preclinical data to negative findings in recent clinical trials. To empirically address this translational disparity, we use functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in a double-blind, randomized controlled study to assess whether 20 mg escitalopram improves sequence-specific motor performance and modulates cortical motor response in 64 healthy female participants. We found decreased left premotor cortex responses during sequence-specific learning performance comparing single dose and steady escitalopram state. Escitalopram plasma-levels negatively correlated with the premotor cortex response. We did not find evidence in support of improved motor performance after a week of escitalopram-intake. These findings do not support the conclusion that one-week escitalopram intake increases motor performance but could reflect early adaptive plasticity with improved neural processing underlying similar task performance when steady peripheral escitalopram levels are reached.

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Effect of brain-derived neurotrophic factor gene polymorphisms on motor performance and motor learning: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Behavioural Brain Research ◽

10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113712 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 113712

Author(s):

Ryoki Sasaki ◽

Shota Miyaguchi ◽

Hideaki Onishi

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Motor Learning ◽

Neurotrophic Factor ◽

Gene Polymorphisms ◽

Motor Performance ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor ◽

Factor Gene

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Preserved motor memory in Parkinson's disease

10.1101/2021.04.30.441882 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Soraya Lahlou ◽

Ella Gabitov ◽

Lucy L. W. Owen ◽

Daphna Shohamy ◽

Madeleine Sharp

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Parkinson’S Disease ◽

Parkinson's Disease ◽

Motor Learning ◽

Motor Performance ◽

Motor Memory ◽

Motor Sequence ◽

Younger Adults ◽

Initial Sequence ◽

Initial Learning

Patients with Parkinson's disease, who lose the dopaminergic projections to the striatum, are impaired in certain aspects of motor learning. Recent evidence suggests that, in addition to its role in motor performance, the striatum plays a key role in the memory of motor learning. Whether Parkinson's patients have impaired motor memory and whether motor memory is modulated by dopamine at the time of initial learning is unknown. To address these questions, we measured memory of a learned motor sequence in Parkinson's patients who were either On or Off their dopaminergic medications. We compared them to a group of older and younger controls. Contrary to our predictions, motor memory was not impaired in patients compared to older controls, and was not influenced by dopamine state at the time of initial learning. To probe post-learning consolidation processes, we also tested whether learning a new sequence shortly after learning the initial sequence would interfere with later memory. We found that, in contrast to younger adults, neither older adults nor patients were susceptible to this interference. These findings suggest that motor memory is preserved in Parkinson's patients and raise the possibility that motor memory in patients is supported by compensatory non-dopamine sensitive mechanisms. Furthermore, given the similar performance characteristics observed in the patients and older adults and the absence of an effect of dopamine, these results raise the possibility that aging and Parkinson's disease affect motor memory in similar ways.

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