Somatic and Reinforcement-Based Plasticity in the Initial Stages of Human Motor Learning

Overview

Journal J Neurosci

Specialty Neurology

Date 2016 Nov 18

PMID 27852776

Citations 22

Authors

Ananda Sidarta

Shahabeddin Vahdat

Nicolo F Bernardi

David J Ostry

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Significance Statement: In the initial stages of motor learning, the placement of the limbs is learned primarily through trial and error. In an experimental analog, participants make reaching movements to a hidden target and receive positive feedback when successful. We identified sources of plasticity based on changes in functional connectivity using resting-state fMRI. The main finding is that there is a strengthening of connectivity between reward-related prefrontal areas and sensorimotor areas in the basal ganglia and frontal cortex. There is also a strengthening of connectivity related to movement exploration in sensorimotor circuits involved in somatic memory and decision making. The results indicate that initial stages of motor learning depend on plasticity in somatic and prefrontal networks related to reward and exploration.

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