Motor learning processes: an electrophysiologic perspective

Abstract

-The goal of the present study was to investigate electrophysiologic, qEEG, changes when individuals were exposed to a motor task. Subjects' brain electrical activity was analyzed before and after the typewriting training task. For the neurophysiological variable asymmetry, a paired t-test was performed to compare each moment, pre and post-task, in the beta bands. The findings showed a change for the qEEG variable in each scalp site, F3/F4; C3/C4 and P3/P4. These results suggest an adaptation of pre-frontal, sensory-motor and parietal cortex, as a consequence of the typewriting training.KEY WORDS: sensory-motor integration, procedural learning, qEEG. Processos de aprendizagem motora: uma perspectiva eletrofisiológicaRESUMO -O objetivo do presente estudo foi investigar mudanças eletrofisiológicas através do EEGq quando indivíduos são expostos a uma tarefa motora. A atividade elétrica no córtex dos sujeitos foi analisada antes e após o treinamento da tarefa motora. Para a variável neurofisiológica assimetria, um teste t foi implementado para comparar cada momento, pré e pós-tarefa, na banda beta. Os achados demonstraram mudança em assimetria para as seguintes regiões no escalpo: F3/F4, C3/C4 e P3/P4. Estes resultados sugerem uma adaptação das regiões pré-frontal, somatosensorial e parietal como conseqüência do treinamento de datilografia. PALAVRAS-CHAVE: integração sensório-motora, memória de procedimento, EEGq. Velasques -Rua Paula Brito 350 / 1102 -20541-190 Rio de Janeiro RJ -Brasil. E-mail: bruna_velasques@yahoo.com.br To maintain stability at a highly dynamic environment, the central nervous system (CNS) is in constant activity. It continuously receives external sensory stimuli, many specifi cally required to maintain motor performance [1][2][3] . Many studies have demonstrated that precision during the motor gesture is increased as consequence of motor learning 4,5 . Motor learning promotes a gradual minimization of task errors, an increase in coordination, agility and movement execution 6 . Dra. Bruna BrandãoDifferent mechanisms take part in the complexity of motor learning which involves various levels of cortical structures, such as: pre frontal areas related to decision making, contralateral primary motor cortex 7 , ipsilateral primary motor cortex, supplementary motor area, pre motor area, primary sensory areas 8 , and the parietal region responsible for information integration processes. The different functional components and the plastic reorganization of the CNS have lead to investigations objecting the examination of neurofunctional phenomena involving motor learning 9 .Hence, this study aimed at investigating how participative is the learning of a motor task in the cortex organizational mapping. For that, we used quantitative electroencephalography (qEEG) to detect neural changes during the motor learning process 10 . Beta activity was specifi cally investigated, since it is responsive to movements and electro-stimulation of limbs 11,12 .

Incidental Learning and Explicit Recall in Upper Extremity Prosthesis Use: Insights Into Functional Rehabilitation Challenges

“…This fits with the proposal that increased visuospatial demands of motor control is seen in amputees (Metzger et al, 2010), and may relate to the findings seen in this study. In the cortex, studies have demonstrated that principally motor cortex, lateral premotor, and the supplementary motor areas (SMA) are commonly involved in motor learning (Hikosaka, Nakamura, Sakai, & Nakahara, 2002;Velasques et al, 2007;Wolpert, Ghahramani, & Flanagan, 2001). However, the introduction of the highly spatial aspect of our task may heighten the involvement of visuospatial mechanisms of control.…”

The effects of bromazepam over the central and frontal areas during a motor task: an EEG study

“…From this perspective, learning depends on the integrity of the sensorial processing, which is, on the ability of the individual to receive the sensorial information from the environment and from his/her body movements, and to process them and integrate them in the central nervous system (CNS), and utilize them to generate adequate adaptive responses 2 . Previous studies showed that various cortex areas are part of the motor learning process 3,4,5 . Among these areas, the frontal cortex and the somatomotor cortex should be highlighted, since these are the regions that directly participate in motor control.…”