Regional Brain Activation Associated with Different Performance Patterns during Learning of a Complex Motor Skill

Abstract

In understanding the brain's response to extensive practice and development of high-level, expert skill, a key question is whether the same brain structures remain involved throughout the different stages of learning and a form of adaptation occurs, or a new functional circuit is formed with some structures dropping off and others joining. After training subjects on a set of complex motor tasks (tying knots), we utilized fMRI to observe that in subjects who learned the task well new regional activity emerged in posterior medial structures, i.e. the posterior cingulate gyrus. Activation associated with weak learning of the knots involved areas that mediate visual spatial computations. Brain activity associated with no substantive learning indicated involvement of areas dedicated to the declarative aspects learning such as the anterior cingulate and prefrontal cortex. The new activation for the pattern of strong learning has alternate interpretations involving either retrieval during episodic memory or a shift toward non-executive cognitive control of the task. While these interpretations are not resolved, the study makes clear that single time-point images of motor skill can be misleading because the brain structures that implement action can change following practice.

Changes in Brain Activation during the Acquisition of a Multifrequency Bimanual Coordination Task: From the Cognitive Stage to Advanced Levels of Automaticity

“…A recent study identified similar shifts (Tracy et al, 2003) but could not resolve unambiguously whether the PCZ was involved in cognitive control or retrieval. The PCZ has indeed been associated with evaluative functions (Vogt et al, 1992), as well as with movement execution (Picard and Strick, 1996).…”

Multivariate Granger causality analysis of fMRI data

“…In addition, trial-by-trial variability in BOLD data and performance measures makes both susceptible to the influence of outliers and other statistical pitfalls. Previous studies have circumvented this limitation with summary time series, such as mean BOLD or mean reaction time by block [Toni et al, 2002] or condition [Tracy et al, 2003]. The present framework of analysis is expected to be useful in the investigation of other slowly varying neurophysiological processes such as learning [Floyer-Lea et al, 2005], habituation [Pfleiderer et al, 2002], chronic pain [Borsook et al, 2006], and therapeutic effects [Schweinhardt et al, 2006].…”

Unreflective actions? complex motor skill acquisition to enhance spatial cognition

“…Recent neuroimaging evidence has confirmed the wide range of cortical structures recruited in motor learning, based on studies of various experimental design and structure, such as phase coordination paradigms (Puttemans et al 2005;Remy et al 2008), adaptive movements in unstable environments (Inoue et al 2000;Nezafat et al 2001), or even more complex motor patterns (Buccino et al 2004;Tracy et al 2003). This line of work further underlines the complexity of motor learning, and contrasts with dichotomist views separating higher cognitive processing and lower motor networks.…”