Functional connectivity in the resting‐state motor networks influences the kinematic processes during motor sequence learning

Abstract

Neuroimaging studies support the involvement of the cerebello-cortical and striato-cortical motor loops in motor sequence learning. Here, we investigated whether the gain of motor sequence learning could depend on a priori resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) between motor areas and structures belonging to these circuits. Fourteen healthy subjects underwent a resting-state fMRI session. Afterward, they were asked to reproduce a verbally-learned sequence of finger opposition movements as fast and accurate as possible. All subjects increased their movement rate with practice, by reducing touch duration and/or inter tapping interval. The rsFC analysis showed that at rest left and right M1 and left and right supplementary motor cortex (SMA) were mainly connected with other motor areas. The covariate analysis taking into account the different kinematic parameters indicated that the subjects achieving greater movement rate increase were those showing stronger rsFC of the left M1 and SMA with the right lobule VIII of the cerebellum. Notably, the subjects with greater inter tapping interval reduction showed stronger rsFC of the left M1 and SMA with the association nuclei of the thalamus. Conversely, the regression analysis with the right M1 and SMA seeds showed only few significant clusters for the different covariates not located in the cerebellum and thalamus. No common clusters were found between right M1 and SMA. All these findings indicate important functional connections at rest of those neural circuits responsible of motor learning improvement, involving the motor areas related to the hemisphere directly controlling the finger movements, the thalamus and the cerebellum.

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“…individuals learning the most experienced the largest reduction in cerebellar inhibitory output ( Jayaram et al, 2011 ). Bonzano and colleagues (2015) recently showed that greater (motor) cortico-cerebellar connectivity (i.e. less inhibition) was correlated with learning on a finger-tapping task in PwMS.…”

“…The implication of functional brain alterations on disease progression, motor deficits, and overall quality of life in clinical populations is a topic of great interest. Mounting evidence reveals that reduced structural connectivity and functional neural connectivity are related to movement deficits in PwMS ( Bonzano et al, 2008 ; Bonzano et al, 2015 ; Fling et al, 2014b ; Petsas et al, 2014 ). Several studies report altered functional connectivity of the motor network in PwMS ( Janssen et al, 2013 ; Lowe et al, 2002 ), however; little is known about how these differences in functional communication contribute to lower limb dysfunction.…”

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