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Suresh T, Iwane F, Zhang M, McElmurry M, Manesiya M, Freedberg MV, Hussain SJ. Motor sequence learning-induced corticospinal plasticity is biased towards sensorimotor mu rhythm peak phases. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.07.31.606022. [PMID: 39211097 PMCID: PMC11361050 DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.31.606022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
Motor cortical (M1) transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) increases corticospinal output and improves motor learning when delivered during sensorimotor mu rhythm trough but not peak phases, suggesting that mechanisms supporting motor learning may be most active during mu trough phases. If so, learning-related corticospinal plasticity should be most evident during mu trough phases. Healthy adults were assigned to either a sequence or control group. Participants in the sequence group practiced the implicit serial reaction time task (SRTT), which contained an embedded, repeating 12-item sequence. Participants in the control group practiced a version of the SRTT that contained no sequence. We measured mu phase-independent and phase-dependent MEP amplitudes using EEG-informed single-pulse TMS before, immediately, and 30 minutes after the SRTT in both groups. All participants performed a retention test one hour after SRTT acquisition. In both groups, mu phase-independent MEP amplitudes increased following SRTT acquisition, but the pattern of mu phase-dependent MEP amplitude increases after SRTT acquisition differed between groups. MEP amplitude changes from baseline to 30 minutes after SRTT acquisition more strongly differed across phases in the control relative to the sequence group, with the control group showing smaller increases in peak- than trough-specific MEPs. Contrary to our original hypothesis, results revealed that sequence learning recruits peak- rather than trough-specific neurophysiological mechanisms. Overall, these findings suggest that mu peak phases may provide protected time windows for motor memory consolidation and demonstrate the presence of a mu phase-dependent motor learning mechanism in the human brain. Significance statement Recent work suggests that the neurophysiological mechanisms supporting motor learning may be most active during sensorimotor mu rhythm trough phases. Here, we evaluated this possibility by measuring mu phase-dependent corticospinal plasticity induced by motor sequence learning. Results provide first evidence that motor sequence learning produced corticospinal plasticity that was more pronounced during mu peak than trough phases, demonstrating the presence of a phase-dependent learning mechanism within the human motor system.
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Shiga K, Miyaguchi S, Inukai Y, Otsuru N, Onishi H. Transcranial alternating current stimulation does not affect microscale learning. Behav Brain Res 2024; 459:114770. [PMID: 37984522 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2023.114770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Revised: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
A theory has been posited that microscale learning, which involves short intervals of a few seconds during explicit motor skill learning, considerably enhances performance. This phenomenon correlates with diminished beta-band activity in the frontal and parietal regions. However, there is a lack of neurophysiological studies regarding the relationship between microscale learning and implicit motor skill learning. In the present study, we aimed to determine the effects of transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) during short rest periods on microscale learning in an implicit motor task. We investigated the effects of 20-Hz β-tACS delivered during short rest periods while participants performed an implicit motor task. In Experiments 1 and 2, β-tACS targeted the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the right frontoparietal network, respectively. The participants performed a finger-tapping task using their nondominant left hand, and microscale learning was separately analyzed for micro-online gains (MOnGs) and micro-offline gains (MOffGs). Contrary to our expectations, β-tACS exhibited no statistically significant effects on MOnGs or MOffGs in either Experiment 1 or Experiment 2. In addition, microscale learning during the performance of the implicit motor task was improved by MOffGs in the early learning phase and by MOnGs in the late learning phase. These results revealed that the stimulation protocol employed in this study did not affect microscale learning, indicating a novel aspect of microscale learning in implicit motor tasks. This is the first study to examine microscale learning in implicit motor tasks and may provide baseline information that will be useful in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyosuke Shiga
- Graduate School, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, Niigata 950-3198, Japan.
| | - Shota Miyaguchi
- Institute for Human Movement and Medical Sciences, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, Niigata 950-3198, Japan
| | - Yasuto Inukai
- Institute for Human Movement and Medical Sciences, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, Niigata 950-3198, Japan
| | - Naofumi Otsuru
- Institute for Human Movement and Medical Sciences, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, Niigata 950-3198, Japan
| | - Hideaki Onishi
- Institute for Human Movement and Medical Sciences, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, Niigata 950-3198, Japan
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3
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Gupta MW, Rickard TC. Comparison of online, offline, and hybrid hypotheses of motor sequence learning using a quantitative model that incorporate reactive inhibition. Sci Rep 2024; 14:4661. [PMID: 38409296 PMCID: PMC11269601 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-52726-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Two hypotheses have been advanced for when motor sequence learning occurs: offline between bouts of practice or online concurrently with practice. A third possibility is that learning occurs both online and offline. A complication for differentiating between those hypotheses is a process known as reactive inhibition, whereby performance worsens over consecutively executed sequences, but dissipates during breaks. We advance a new quantitative modeling framework that incorporates reactive inhibition and in which the three learning accounts can be implemented. Our results show that reactive inhibition plays a far larger role in performance than is appreciated in the literature. Across four groups of participants in which break times and correct sequences per trial were varied, the best overall fits were provided by a hybrid model. The version of the offline model that does not account for reactive inhibition, which is widely assumed in the literature, had the worst fits. We discuss implications for extant hypotheses and directions for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohan W Gupta
- Department of Psychology , University of California, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, 92093-0109, USA
| | - Timothy C Rickard
- Department of Psychology , University of California, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, 92093-0109, USA.
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Takemi M, Akahoshi M, Ushiba J, Furuya S. Behavioral and physiological fatigue-related factors influencing timing and force control learning in pianists. Sci Rep 2023; 13:21646. [PMID: 38062126 PMCID: PMC10703774 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-49226-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Optimizing the training regimen depending on neuromuscular fatigue is crucial for the well-being of professionals intensively practicing motor skills, such as athletes and musicians, as persistent fatigue can hinder learning and cause neuromuscular injuries. However, accurate assessment of fatigue is challenging because of the dissociation between subjective perception and its impact on motor and cognitive performance. To address this issue, we investigated the interplay between fatigue and learning development in 28 pianists during three hours of auditory-motor training, dividing them into two groups subjected to different resting conditions. Changes in behavior and muscle activity during training were measured to identify potential indicators capable of detecting fatigue before subjective awareness. Our results indicate that motor learning and fatigue development are independent of resting frequency and timing. Learning indices, such as reduction in force and timing errors throughout training, did not differ between the groups. No discernible distinctions emerged in fatigue-related behavioral and physiological indicators between the groups. Regression analysis revealed that several fatigue-related indicators, such as tapping speed variability and electromyogram amplitude per unit force, could explain the learning of timing and force control. Our findings suggest the absence of a universal resting schedule for optimizing auditory-motor learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mitsuaki Takemi
- Graduate School of Science and Technology, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 223-8522, Japan.
| | - Mai Akahoshi
- Sony Computer Science Laboratories, Inc., Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Biosciences and Informatics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 223-8522, Japan
| | - Junichi Ushiba
- Department of Biosciences and Informatics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 223-8522, Japan.
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Johnson BP, Iturrate I, Fakhreddine RY, Bönstrup M, Buch ER, Robertson EM, Cohen LG. Generalization of procedural motor sequence learning after a single practice trial. NPJ SCIENCE OF LEARNING 2023; 8:45. [PMID: 37803003 PMCID: PMC10558563 DOI: 10.1038/s41539-023-00194-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 10/08/2023]
Abstract
When humans begin learning new motor skills, they typically display early rapid performance improvements. It is not well understood how knowledge acquired during this early skill learning period generalizes to new, related skills. Here, we addressed this question by investigating factors influencing generalization of early learning from a skill A to a different, but related skill B. Early skill generalization was tested over four experiments (N = 2095). Subjects successively learned two related motor sequence skills (skills A and B) over different practice schedules. Skill A and B sequences shared ordinal (i.e., matching keypress locations), transitional (i.e., ordered keypress pairs), parsing rule (i.e., distinct sequence events like repeated keypresses that can be used as a breakpoint for segmenting the sequence into smaller units) structures, or possessed no structure similarities. Results showed generalization for shared parsing rule structure between skills A and B after only a single 10-second practice trial of skill A. Manipulating the initial practice exposure to skill A (1 to 12 trials) and inter-practice rest interval (0-30 s) between skills A and B had no impact on parsing rule structure generalization. Furthermore, this generalization was not explained by stronger sensorimotor mapping between individual keypress actions and their symbolic representations. In contrast, learning from skill A did not generalize to skill B during early learning when the sequences shared only ordinal or transitional structure features. These results document sequence structure that can be very rapidly generalized during initial learning to facilitate generalization of skill.
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Affiliation(s)
- B P Johnson
- Human Cortical Physiology and Neurorehabilitation Section, NINDS, NIH, Bethesda, USA
- Washington University in St Louis, St. Louis, USA
| | - I Iturrate
- Human Cortical Physiology and Neurorehabilitation Section, NINDS, NIH, Bethesda, USA
- Amazon EU, Barcelona, Spain
| | - R Y Fakhreddine
- Human Cortical Physiology and Neurorehabilitation Section, NINDS, NIH, Bethesda, USA
- UT Austin, Austin, USA
| | | | - E R Buch
- Human Cortical Physiology and Neurorehabilitation Section, NINDS, NIH, Bethesda, USA.
| | - E M Robertson
- Center for Cognitive Neuroimaging, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland, UK
| | - L G Cohen
- Human Cortical Physiology and Neurorehabilitation Section, NINDS, NIH, Bethesda, USA.
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Cubillos LH, Augenstein TE, Ranganathan R, Krishnan C. Breaking the barriers to designing online experiments: A novel open-source platform for supporting procedural skill learning experiments. Comput Biol Med 2023; 154:106627. [PMID: 36753980 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2023.106627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Revised: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/28/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Motor learning experiments are typically performed in laboratory environments, which can be time-consuming and require dedicated equipment/personnel, thus limiting the ability to gather data from large samples. To address this problem, some researchers have transitioned to unsupervised online experiments, showing advantages in participant recruitment without losing validity. However, most online platforms require coding experience or time-consuming setups to create and run experiments, limiting their usage across the field. METHOD To tackle this issue, an open-source web-based platform was developed (https://experiments.neurro-lab.engin.umich.edu/) to create, run, and manage procedural skill learning experiments without coding or setup requirements. The feasibility of the platform and the comparability of the results between supervised (n = 17) and unsupervised (n = 24) were tested in 41 naive right-handed participants using an established sequential finger tapping task. The study also tested if a previously reported rapid form of offline consolidation (i.e., microscale learning) in procedural skill learning could be replicated with the developed platform and evaluated the extent of interlimb transfer associated with the finger tapping task. RESULTS The results indicated that the performance metrics were comparable between the supervised and unsupervised groups (all p's > 0.05). The learning curves, mean tapping speeds, and micro-scale learning were similar to previous studies. Training led to significant improvements in mean tapping speed (2.22 ± 1.48 keypresses/s, p < 0.001) and a significant interlimb transfer of learning (1.22 ± 1.43 keypresses/s, p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS The results show that the presented platform may serve as a valuable tool for conducting online procedural skill-learning experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis H Cubillos
- Neuromuscular and Rehabilitation Robotics Laboratory (NeuRRo Lab), Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Michigan Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, 48108, USA; Robotics Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Thomas E Augenstein
- Neuromuscular and Rehabilitation Robotics Laboratory (NeuRRo Lab), Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Michigan Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, 48108, USA; Robotics Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Rajiv Ranganathan
- Department of Kinesiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA; Department of Mechanical Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Chandramouli Krishnan
- Neuromuscular and Rehabilitation Robotics Laboratory (NeuRRo Lab), Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Michigan Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, 48108, USA; Robotics Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA; School of Kinesiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
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7
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Hodges NJ, Lohse KR. An extended challenge-based framework for practice design in sports coaching. J Sports Sci 2022; 40:754-768. [PMID: 35019816 DOI: 10.1080/02640414.2021.2015917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The challenge-point framework as a model for thinking about motor learning was first proposed in 2004. Although it has been well-cited, surprisingly this framework has not made its way into much of the applied sport science literature. One of the reasons for this omission is that the original framework had not been encapsulated into a paper accessible for sports practitioners. The framework had mostly a theoretical focus, providing a mechanistic summary of motor learning research. Our aims in this paper were to explain and elaborate on the challenge point framework to present an applied framework guiding practice design. We connect the framework to other theories that involve predictive coding, where information is attended when it disconfirms current predictions, providing a strong signal for learning. We also consider how two new dimensions (learners' motivation and practice specificity) need to be considered when designing practice settings. By moving around the different dimensions of functional difficulty, motivation, and specificity, coaches can optimize practice to achieve different learning goals. Specifically, we present three general "types" of practice: practice to learn, to transfer to competition, and to maintain current skills. Practical examples are given to illustrate how this framework can inform coach practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola J Hodges
- University of British Columbia, School of Kinesiology, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Keith R Lohse
- School of Medicine, Washington University, St. Louis, United States
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8
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Buch ER, Claudino L, Quentin R, Bönstrup M, Cohen LG. Consolidation of human skill linked to waking hippocampo-neocortical replay. Cell Rep 2021; 35:109193. [PMID: 34107255 PMCID: PMC8259719 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Revised: 03/10/2021] [Accepted: 05/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The introduction of rest intervals interspersed with practice strengthens wakeful consolidation of skill. The mechanisms by which the brain binds discrete action representations into consolidated, highly temporally resolved skill sequences during waking rest are not known. To address this question, we recorded magnetoencephalography (MEG) during acquisition and rapid consolidation of a sequential motor skill. We report the presence of prominent, fast waking neural replay during the same rest periods in which rapid consolidation occurs. The observed replay is temporally compressed by approximately 20-fold relative to the acquired skill, is selective for the trained sequence, and predicts the magnitude of skill consolidation. Replay representations extend beyond the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex to the contralateral sensorimotor cortex. These results document the presence of robust hippocampo-neocortical replay supporting rapid wakeful consolidation of skill.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ethan R Buch
- Human Cortical Physiology and Neurorehabilitation Section, NINDS, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | - Leonardo Claudino
- Human Cortical Physiology and Neurorehabilitation Section, NINDS, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Romain Quentin
- Human Cortical Physiology and Neurorehabilitation Section, NINDS, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Marlene Bönstrup
- Human Cortical Physiology and Neurorehabilitation Section, NINDS, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Leonardo G Cohen
- Human Cortical Physiology and Neurorehabilitation Section, NINDS, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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Wanner P, Winterholler M, Gaßner H, Winkler J, Klucken J, Pfeifer K, Steib S. Acute exercise following skill practice promotes motor memory consolidation in Parkinson's disease. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2020; 178:107366. [PMID: 33358765 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2020.107366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Revised: 12/01/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Acute cardiovascular exercise has shown to promote neuroplastic processes supporting the consolidation of newly acquired motor skills in healthy adults. First results suggest that this concept may be transferred to populations with motor and cognitive dysfunctions. In this context, Parkinson's disease (PD) is highly relevant since patients demonstrate deficits in motor learning. Hence, in the present study we sought to explore the effect of a single post-practice exercise bout on motor memory consolidation in PD. For this purpose, 17 patients with PD (Hoehn and Yahr: 1 - 2.5, age: 60.1 ± 7.9 y) practiced a whole-body skill followed by either (i) a moderate-intense bout of cycling, or (ii) seated rest for a total of 30 min. The motor skill required the participants to balance on a tiltable platform (stabilometer) for 30 s. During skill practice, participants performed 15 trials followed by a retention test 1 day and 7 days later. We calculated time in balance (platform within ± 5° from horizontal) for each trial and within- and between-group differences in memory consolidation (i.e. offline learning = skill change from last acquisition block to retention tests) were analyzed. Groups revealed similar improvements during skill practice (F4,60 = 0.316, p = 0.866), but showed differences in offline learning, which were only evident after 7 days (F1,14 = 5.602, p = 0.033). Our results suggest that a single post-practice exercise bout is effective in enhancing long-term motor memory consolidation in a population with motor learning impairments. This may point at unique promoting effects of exercise on dopamine neurotransmission involved in memory formation. Future studies should investigate the potential role of exercise-induced effects on the dopaminergic system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Wanner
- Department of Sport Science and Sport, Division of Exercise and Health, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany
| | | | - Heiko Gaßner
- Department of Molecular Neurology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany
| | - Jürgen Winkler
- Department of Molecular Neurology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany
| | - Jochen Klucken
- Department of Molecular Neurology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany
| | - Klaus Pfeifer
- Department of Sport Science and Sport, Division of Exercise and Health, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany
| | - Simon Steib
- Department of Sport Science and Sport, Division of Exercise and Health, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany; Institute of Sports and Sports Sciences, Human Movement, Training and Active Aging Department, Heidelberg University, Germany.
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10
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Wanner P, Cheng FH, Steib S. Effects of acute cardiovascular exercise on motor memory encoding and consolidation: A systematic review with meta-analysis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 116:365-381. [PMID: 32565171 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.06.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Revised: 06/03/2020] [Accepted: 06/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Emerging evidence indicates that acute bouts of cardiovascular exercise promote motor memory formation. In this preregistered meta-analysis (CRD42018106288) we synthesize data from 22 studies published until February 2020, including a total of 862 participants. We calculated standardized mean differences (SMDs) with 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) to assess exercise effects on motor memory encoding and consolidation, respectively. The pooled data indicate that exercise mainly benefits the consolidation of memories, with exercise prior to motor practice improving early non-sleep consolidation (SMD, 0.58; 95 % CI, 0.30-0.86; p < 0.001), and post-practice exercise facilitating sleep-dependent consolidation (SMD, 0.62; 95 % CI, 0.34-0.90; p < 0.001). Strongest effects exist for high exercise intensities, and motor task nature appears to be another relevant modulator. We demonstrate that acute cardiovascular exercise particularly promotes the consolidation of acquired motor memories, and exercise timing, and intensity as well as motor task nature seem to critically modulate this relationship. These findings are discussed within currently proposed models of motor memory formation and considering molecular and systemic mechanisms of neural plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Wanner
- Department of Sport Science and Sport, Division of Exercise and Health, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Gebbertstraße 123b, 91058 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Fei-Hsin Cheng
- Department of Sport Science and Sport, Division of Exercise and Health, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Gebbertstraße 123b, 91058 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Simon Steib
- Department of Sport Science and Sport, Division of Exercise and Health, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Gebbertstraße 123b, 91058 Erlangen, Germany; Department of Sport and Health Sciences, Chair of Human Movement Science, Technical University of Munich, Georg-Brauchle-Ring 60/ 62, 80992 Munich, Germany.
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11
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Bönstrup M, Iturrate I, Hebart MN, Censor N, Cohen LG. Mechanisms of offline motor learning at a microscale of seconds in large-scale crowdsourced data. NPJ SCIENCE OF LEARNING 2020; 5:7. [PMID: 32550003 PMCID: PMC7272649 DOI: 10.1038/s41539-020-0066-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2019] [Accepted: 04/17/2020] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Performance improvements during early human motor skill learning are suggested to be driven by short periods of rest during practice, at the scale of seconds. To reveal the unknown mechanisms behind these "micro-offline" gains, we leveraged the sampling power offered by online crowdsourcing (cumulative N over all experiments = 951). First, we replicated the original in-lab findings, demonstrating generalizability to subjects learning the task in their daily living environment (N = 389). Second, we show that offline improvements during rest are equivalent when significantly shortening practice period duration, thus confirming that they are not a result of recovery from performance fatigue (N = 118). Third, retroactive interference immediately after each practice period reduced the learning rate relative to interference after passage of time (N = 373), indicating stabilization of the motor memory at a microscale of several seconds. Finally, we show that random termination of practice periods did not impact offline gains, ruling out a contribution of predictive motor slowing (N = 71). Altogether, these results demonstrate that micro-offline gains indicate rapid, within-seconds consolidation accounting for early skill learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marlene Bönstrup
- Human Cortical Physiology and Neurorehabilitation Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, MD 20814 USA
| | - Iñaki Iturrate
- Human Cortical Physiology and Neurorehabilitation Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, MD 20814 USA
| | - Martin N. Hebart
- Laboratory of Brain and Cognition, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD 20814 USA
| | - Nitzan Censor
- School of Psychological Sciences and Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, 69978 Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Leonardo G. Cohen
- Human Cortical Physiology and Neurorehabilitation Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, MD 20814 USA
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12
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Robertson EM, Genzel L. Memories replayed: reactivating past successes and new dilemmas. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20190226. [PMID: 32248775 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Our experiences continue to be processed 'offline' in the ensuing hours of both wakefulness and sleep. During these different brain states, the memory formed during our experience is replayed or reactivated. Here, we discuss the unique challenges in studying offline reactivation, the growth in both the experimental and analytical techniques available across different animals from rodents to humans to capture these offline events, the important challenges this innovation has brought, our still modest understanding of how reactivation drives diverse synaptic changes across circuits, and how these changes differ (if at all), and perhaps complement, those at memory formation. Together, these discussions highlight critical emerging issues vital for identifying how reactivation affects circuits, and, in turn, behaviour, and provides a broader context for the contributions in this special issue. This article is part of the Theo Murphy meeting issue 'Memory reactivation: replaying events past, present and future'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edwin M Robertson
- Institute of Neuroscience & Psychology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Lisa Genzel
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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