Motor skill learning depends on protein synthesis in the dorsal striatum after training

Abstract

Functional imaging studies in humans and electrophysiological data in animals suggest that cortico-striatal circuits undergo plastic modifications during motor skill learning. In motor cortex and hippocampus circuit plasticity can be prevented by protein synthesis inhibition (PSI) which can interfere with certain forms learning. Here, the hypothesis was tested that inducing PSI in the dorsal striatum by bilateral intrastriatal injection of anisomycin (ANI) in rats interferes with learning a precision forelimb reaching task. Injecting ANI shortly after training on days 1 and 2 during 4 days of daily practice (n=14) led to a significant impairment of motor skill learning as compared with vehicle-injected controls (n=15, p=0.033). ANI did not affect the animals' motivation as measured by intertrial latencies. Also, ANI did not affect reaching performance once learning was completed and performance reached a plateau. These findings demonstrate that PSI in the dorsal striatum after training impairs the acquisition of a novel motor skill. The results support the notion that plasticity in basal ganglia circuits, mediated by protein synthesis, contributes to motor skill learning.

Cortico-subcortical neuronal circuitry associated with reconsolidation of human procedural memories

“…Thus, successful memory modification was associated with stronger dorsal striatum-M1 and anterior cerebellum-M1 functional connectivity. These results are in line with previous findings that motor learning relies on protein synthesis in the dorsal striatum in rodents (Wächter et al, 2010) and modulates population activity in striatal neurons in non-human primates (Jog et al, 1999). Importantly, reversible blockade of local neural activity in the dorsal striatum leads to disruption in the execution of previously learned sequences (Miyachi et al, 1997).…”

Rethinking Motor Learning and Savings in Adaptation Paradigms: Model-Free Memory for Successful Actions Combines with Internal Models

“…Our suggestion of an interplay between a model-based process in the cerebellum and a model-free retention process in primary motor cortex is supported by the results of a recent non-invasive brain stimulation study of rotation adaptation; adaptation was accelerated by stimulation of the cerebellum, while stimulation of primary motor cortex led to longer retention (Galea et al, 2010). Finally, operant reinforcement may require dopaminergic projections to the striatum (Wachter et al, 2010). If we are right in our assertion that motor learning studied with error-based paradigms results from the combination of model-free and model-based learning processes then these paradigms may be well suited to study how the brain modularly assembles complex motor abilities.…”

Effects of acute sleep deprivation on motor and reversal learning in mice

“…Injection of the protein synthesis inhibitor anisomycin into rat primary motor cortex significantly attenuated skilled reach performance, with no such impairment when anisomycin was injected into parietal cortex or cerebellum (Luft et al, 2004). A smaller but significant effect on skilled reach performance was appreciated when anisomycin was injected into dorsal striatum (Wachter et al, 2010). Anisomycin similarly degraded cortical motor maps resulting from skilled reach training and reduced motor cortical synapse density (Kleim et al, 2003).…”