Repetition and variation in motor practice: A review of neural correlates

Abstract

Random practice results in more effective motor learning than either constant or blocked practice. Recent studies have investigated the effects of practice schedules at the neurophysiological level. This study aims to conduct a literature review of the following issues: (a) the differential involvement of premotor areas, the primary motor cortex, the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the posterior parietal cortex in different types of practice; (b) changes in the participation of these areas throughout practice; and (c) the degree of support that current neurophysiological findings offer to strengthen the behavioral proposition that distinct cognitive processes are generated by different practice schedules. Data from 10 studies that investigated associations between practice structures and neurobiological substrates were analyzed. The participation of the indicated areas was found to depend on practice structure and varied during the learning process. Greater cognitive engagement was associated with random practice. In conclusion, distinct neural processes are engendered by different practice conditions. The integration of behavioral and neurophysiological findings promotes a more comprehensive view of the phenomenon.

Training proprioception with sound: effects of real‐time auditory feedback on intermodal learning

“…49 Neuroimaging studies also confirm that the indulgence of variability during training can promote a broader network of sensorimotor, premotor-parietal networks, and subcortical areas as compared with constant training. 20,50 Likewise, the longitudinal analysis demonstrated stable or increased activation in areas associated with motor preparation, sequencing, and response selection in the group training variably. 20 In our previous study, we assumed that a constant training on the two target angles (40°and 75°) could have been one of the main reasons for the lack of retainable effects in the consecutive retention block.…”

The effect of constant practice in transfer tests

“…It seems that offline learning and memory stabilization, processes involved in skill consolidation 33,34,35 , reduce the uncertainty of the motor system, as consequence, decreasing the necessity of an exploratory prediction of parameters values. Further research needs to be carried out to analyze the effect of skill consolidation in the adaptation rate of groups between similar transfer tests.…”

Muscular and neuromotor control and learning in the athletic horse

“…Within the latter, one can choose to do blocked, serial or random training. In humans the effect of different ways of practicing, and the related neurophysiology has been studied during the past ten years, and clear differences in the brain function during learning and in the result of learning have been seen (Lage et al, 2015).…”

“…During the learning process, adaptation in certain parts of brain happens in relation to different functions at different phases of learning (Floyer-Lea and Matthews, 2004;Lage et al, 2015). Reduction in brain activity in several regions of brain can be seen in comparison to the learning phase (Floyer-Lea and Matthews, 2004).…”