Neuroplasticity Subserving Motor Skill Learning

Abstract

Summary Recent years have seen significant progress in our understanding of the neural substrates of motor skill learning. Advances in neuroimaging provide new insight into functional reorganization associated with the acquisition, consolidation and retention of motor skills. Plastic changes involving structural reorganization in gray and white matter architecture that occurs over shorter time periods than previously thought have been documented as well. Data from experimental animals provided crucial information on plausible cellular and molecular substrates contributing to large-scale reorganization underlying skill acquisition in humans. Here, we review findings demonstrating functional and structural plasticity across different spatial and temporal scales that mediate motor skill learning, while identifying converging areas of interest, and possible avenues for future research.

Effects of tDCS on motor learning and memory formation: A consensus and critical position paper

“…13/140 reviewed articles (9.2%) met the eligibility criteria (one or more sessions of unilateral or bilateral tDCS over M1 concurrently with training the SFTT or SVIPT tasks, and included a negative control group for stimulation (either sham tDCS plus task training or training only)). The authors conclude that the effects of anodal tDCS over M1 on sequential motor learning may depend on learning stages (Dayan & Cohen, 2011) and be to some extent task-or montage-specific and that multiple tDCS sessions present advantages over single session applications on both finger tapping and SVIPT tasks. Similarly, the effects on long-term retention might be task specific with different retention effects reported in the finger tapping versus SVIPT tasks Reis et al, 2009;Saucedo-Marquez et al, 2013;Waters-Metenier et al, 2014).…”

“…Commonly used skills such as typing or playing a musical instrument are acquired and improved through years of repetitive practice (Dayan & Cohen, 2011). This process remains adaptive throughout the lifespan, as the interaction between intrinsic (e.g.…”

“…Learning is initiated by experience that is accrued over one or more practice or training periods (Dayan & Cohen, 2011). Performance improvements that occur over shorter time periods, such as within a single training session or day, are typically referred to as online learning (Reis et al, 2009).…”

Cortical activation during executed, imagined, observed, and passive wrist movements in healthy volunteers and stroke patients

“…For the learning of new skills in healthy participants, complex patterns of activation increases and decreases in several brain areas have consistently been reported (Dayan and Cohen, 2011;Krakauer and Mazzoni, 2011;Penhune and Steele, 2012). However, the neural correlates of motor skill relearning in patients are less well understood, so that at present it remains unclear whether motor (re-)learning in healthy participants and patients rely on similar or different mechanisms (Hosp and Luft, 2011).…”

The outcome of hip exercise in patellofemoral pain: A systematic review

“…The results may be different in different PFP populations as motor skill acquisition is highly task specific and dependent on age, prior skill and activity levels (Dayan and Cohen, 2011).…”