» Articles » PMID: 35399362

The Proactive Synergy Between Action Observation and Execution in the Acquisition of New Motor Skills

Overview
Specialty Neurology
Date 2022 Apr 11
PMID 35399362
Authors
Affiliations
Soon will be listed here.
Abstract

Motor learning can be defined as a process that leads to relatively permanent changes in motor behavior through repeated interactions with the environment. Different strategies can be adopted to achieve motor learning: movements can be overtly practiced leading to an amelioration of motor performance; alternatively, covert strategies (e.g., action observation) can promote neuroplastic changes in the motor system even in the absence of real movement execution. However, whether a training regularly alternating action observation and execution (i.e., Action Observation Training, AOT) may surpass the pure motor practice (MP) and observational learning (OL) remains to be established. To address this issue, we enrolled 54 subjects requiring them to learn tying nautical knots via one out of three types of training (AOT, MP, OL) with the scope to investigate which element mostly contributes to motor learning. We evaluated the overall improvement of each group, along with the predictive role that neuropsychological indexes exert on each treatment outcome. The AOT group exhibited the highest performance improvement (42%), indicating that the regular alternation between observation and execution biases participants toward a better performance. The reiteration of this sequence provides an incremental, adjunct value that super-adds onto the efficacy of motor practice or observational learning in isolation (42% > 25% + 10%, i.e., OL + MP). These findings extend the use of the AOT from clinical and rehabilitative contexts to daily routines requiring the learning and perfectioning of new motor skills such as sports training, music, and occupational activities requiring fine motor control.

Citing Articles

Identification of a Hippocampus-to-Zona Incerta Projection involved in Motor Learning.

Zhang Z, Wang B, Peng Y, Xu Y, Li C, Ning Y Adv Sci (Weinh). 2024; 11(33):e2307185.

PMID: 38958448 PMC: 11434110. DOI: 10.1002/advs.202307185.


The importance of observing the master's hand: Action Observation Training promotes the acquisition of new musical skills.

Paolini S, Bazzini M, Ferrari L, Errante A, Fogassi L, Rizzolatti G Front Neurol. 2024; 15:1383053.

PMID: 38872813 PMC: 11169796. DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2024.1383053.


Top-down and bottom-up stimulation techniques combined with action observation treatment in stroke rehabilitation: a perspective.

Qi F, Nitsche M, Ren X, Wang D, Wang L Front Neurol. 2023; 14:1156987.

PMID: 37497013 PMC: 10367110. DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2023.1156987.


The capacity of action observation to drag the trainees' motor pattern toward the observed model.

Bazzini M, Nuara A, Branchini G, De Marco D, Ferrari L, Lanini M Sci Rep. 2023; 13(1):9107.

PMID: 37277395 PMC: 10241915. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-35664-w.


Kicking in or kicking out? The role of the individual motor expertise in predicting the outcome of rugby actions.

Paolini S, Bazzini M, Rossini M, De Marco D, Nuara A, Presti P Front Psychol. 2023; 14:1122236.

PMID: 36935992 PMC: 10020490. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1122236.


References
1.
Vogt S, Thomaschke R . From visuo-motor interactions to imitation learning: behavioural and brain imaging studies. J Sports Sci. 2007; 25(5):497-517. DOI: 10.1080/02640410600946779. View

2.
Celnik P, Webster B, Glasser D, Cohen L . Effects of action observation on physical training after stroke. Stroke. 2008; 39(6):1814-20. PMC: 3638075. DOI: 10.1161/STROKEAHA.107.508184. View

3.
Linn M, Petersen A . Emergence and characterization of sex differences in spatial ability: a meta-analysis. Child Dev. 1985; 56(6):1479-98. View

4.
Karni A, Meyer G, Jezzard P, Adams M, Turner R, Ungerleider L . Functional MRI evidence for adult motor cortex plasticity during motor skill learning. Nature. 1995; 377(6545):155-8. DOI: 10.1038/377155a0. View

5.
Lage G, Ugrinowitsch H, Apolinario-Souza T, Vieira M, Albuquerque M, Benda R . Repetition and variation in motor practice: A review of neural correlates. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2015; 57:132-41. DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2015.08.012. View