Neural correlates of motor learning Flashcards
definition of motor learning
Motor learning is the process of skill acquisition or re-acquisition
what does it mean when someone have learned a skill
this implies there is a relatively permanent change in their capacity to perform that skill, e.g. the skill is RETAINED over time
Motor learning is a RESULT OF what
practice
how do we assess motor learning
Inferred from performance
The measure of motor skill is our performance
what are the three stages of motor learning
Initial/cognitive
Intermediate/associative
Advanced/automatic
Initial/cognitive brain activity
To start there is a lot of thinking that goes into learning – makes people tired
Intermediate/associative - what are people associating
Associate what they do with what their goal of movement is
Advanced/automatic and the limbic system
Limbic activity goes down – they’ve got the plan and know what to do
Initial/cognitive performance
Slow
Uncoordinated/often freezing degrees of freedom
Guiding step by step not a smooth movement
Variability in performance
Initial/cognitive performance is dependent one what
Feedback dependent
Initial/cognitive performance brain areas are importance for
cognition and attention
cognition and attention brain areas
Parietal association areas
Dorsal PA
orientation, spatial temporal characteristics
Inferior PA
multiple sensory information and how you are using it
where do we do thinking
prefrontal cortex
Initial/cognitive - Prefrontal
involved in decision making, selection, attentional processes early in learning
Initial/cognitive - Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC)
highly activated during trial/error learning
Initial/cognitive - Prefrontal + (DLPFC)
Both of these areas are involved in working memory.
A novice learner is trying to hold information (instructions, what happened last time, what they should do this next time) in working memory so they can use info/improve next trial
Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC) has heavy connections with what part of the brain
PREFRONTAL
Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC) is part of what system
limbic
Initial/cognitive - Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC
This weights decision to act based on what we know
Highly activity in novel learning process
Initial/cognitive - PREFRONTAL + ACC
“cognitive performance monitoring”
The ‘oops’ system
During trial/error learning, if the learner makes an error this system becomes highly active, this ‘error’ signal is then used to update the upcoming motor plan … e.g. ‘try not to do that again!!!’
PFC : know you missed
Cing: do not do that again
Initial/cognitive - Cerebellum
provides feedback/error from motor execution. So the cerebellum is signaling ‘motor error’
cerebellum and well learned movements
Does a lot of error correction for well learned movements – during the execution of the task, preconscious
Initial/cognitive - Prefrontal/ DLPFC/ACC
involved in the conscious/cognitive recognition of error – you know you are wrong
executive function BG loop - caudate
loop includes just the caudate
not the cuadate and the putamen
executive function BG loop - cortex area
DLPFC
executive function BG loop - what is the loop doing
This loop is picking out the best strategy
thinking about what you are doing
motor BG loop during early learning
when you are first learning how to do things you cannot use you motor loop that well yet
We do not know which plan to select
BG loop collaborative
BG loop are collaborative – therefore they can be working on the same thing at the same time
Intermediate/associative - PERFORMANCE
Less variability of performance/less error
Releasing degrees of freedom/improved coordination
Smoother movement
Intermediate/associative - performance feedback
Less reliant on feedback, better estimation of own error
Intermediate/associative - brain map
Learning of sensory-motor map, the internal model
Learning how they move in the environment – making a internal model
Laying down this internal model into Long-term memory
Intermediate/associative - less active brain areas
PFC/DLPFC activation.
Intermediate/associative - more active brain areas
cere and BG
Intermediate/associative - cere
remains active to detect/correct error during motor execution, but it is LESS active than during initial learning
cere changes in activity throughout learning
intial learning - very active
intermediate - less active
advanced -stable
Intermediate/associative - BG shift in activity
change of loops
Less active: The caudate/DLPFC loop, active in initial learning
More active: The SMA/Putamen loop (the skeletal motor loop) becomes MORE ACTIVE as learning progresses.
Advanced/automatic Stage - PERFORMANCE
Skills can be performed quickly (if appropriate for task)
Minimal error/more consistency, less variability
Looks coordinated/exploiting DOF
Advanced/automatic Stage - motor skill
Don’t need to attend to motor skill/can pay attention to other things going on in the environment
Advanced/automatic Stage - brain
change from activity in multiple brain areas from all parts of the cerebrum, to high activity in a focused, smaller set of brain areas.
Moving from cortical-to-cortical communication to cortical to striatum communications
The BG is selecting that plan that we need
Cortical-striatal brain circuitry underlie what
the efficiency and automaticity of well-learned motor skills
Basal gangliaSMA/Putamen loop function
activity in this loop triggers the selection and stores the plan for movement sequences that require precise timing.
this loop allows voluntary movement sequences to be run off automatically
EX: getting up from a chair, a memorized piano piece
BG dysfunction
parkisons
Most difficulty with initiation of skills like walking, sit/stand, because they have lost the automaticity of internally generated / motivated skills.
working with a novice learner - less is more
Because the attention demand is so high in early learning, remember to keep verbal cues focused and prioritized
working with a novice learner - feedback
Allow time between the end of their movement attempt and your feedback – they need to process their own feedback first.
working with a novice learner - trail and error
Use trial/error and discovery learning when appropriate – we know this involves multiple brain areas – the power of multiple areas signaling error and refining the motor plan.
traumatic brain injury - trial and error
Trial/error discovery may not be beneficial for someone in lower rancho scale
with a TBI what areas are normally most effected
STM and attention most disrupted
may be able to preform but cannot keep attention for that long – therefore try to minimized distraction
Parkinson’s and aerobic exercise
Early in disease focus on aerobic/goal-based exercise to slow deterioration, promote overall brain health
Aerobic exercise – increase CO and circulation of oxy blood to the TISSUES not just the muscles
This is increasing oxy blood level to tissue involved with activity including the brain – enhancing the energy to the brain
what is a motor skill - later in PP
all well learned voluntary movements
