To study whether electrophysiological correlates of increasing motor skill can be demonstrated in man, we recorded cortical negative DC-potentials during the acquisition of a complex finger movement in 21 subjects. The movement consisted in moving a matchstick to and fro between the index finger (II) and the little finger (V). Cortical negative DC-potentials were recorded at Fz, Cz, C1, C2 and Pz. As a control a simple finger movement was performed during the same session by 7 of the Ss. Both tasks were repeated 60-80 times and averages of the first and the last 15 artifact-free single runs were compared. Whereas only a slight, inconstant decrease in surface electronegativity during the simple motor task was observed, a significant reduction in potential size occurred during the complex task at Cz (maximum), C1, C2 and Pz but not at Fz. In addition, a significant difference in the decrease of surface electronegativity between various electrode positions was observed. We suggest that these changes in potential size during the process of motor learning may reflect an altered cortical organisation of movement control during the acquisition of a complex motor task.
Slow brain potentials were averaged from 12–15 EEG records (t = DC or 5 s) before and during voluntary hand movement and writing, spatial vision, language, and calculation tasks without vocalization and with visual fixation. EOG and writing pressure or EMG were recorded simultaneously. Skilled actions caused largest negative potentials in the contralateral sensorimotor hand area. Left-sided lateralization or bilaterally equal surface-negative potential shifts appeared during language and calculation tasks in 90% of the right-handers and in 75% of the left-handers. Right-sided lateralizations occurred during the viewing of perspective Necker figures or random-dot stereograms in the large majority of all subjects.
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