scholarly journals Mu Suppression Is Sensitive to Observational Practice but Results in Different Patterns of Activation in Comparison with Physical Practice

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Najah Alhajri ◽  
Nicola J. Hodges ◽  
Jill G. Zwicker ◽  
Naznin Virji-Babul
Keyword(s):  
Motor Learning ◽  
Retention Test ◽  
Motor Task ◽  
Mu Rhythm ◽  
Healthy Individuals ◽  
Physical Practice ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Mu Suppression ◽  
Index Changes ◽  
Observational Practice

Research has shown the effectiveness of observational practice for motor learning, but there continues to be debate about the mechanisms underlying effectiveness. Although cortical processes can be moderated during observation, after both physical and observational practice, how these processes change with respect to behavioural measures of learning has not been studied. Here we compared short-term physical and observational practice during the acquisition and retention of a novel motor task to evaluate how each type of practice modulates EEG mu rhythm (8–13 Hz). Thirty healthy individuals were randomly assigned to one of three groups: (1) physical practice (PP), (2) observational practice (OP), and (3) no practice (NP) control. There were four testing stages: baseline EEG, practice, postpractice observation, and delayed retention. There was significant bilateral suppression of mu rhythm during PP but only left lateralized mu suppression during OP. In the postpractice observation phase, mu suppression was bilateral and larger after PP compared to that after OP. NP control showed no evidence of suppression and was significantly different to both the OP and PP groups. When comparing the three groups in retention, the groups did not differ with respect to tracing times, but the PP group showed fewer errors, especially in comparison to the NP group. Therefore, although the neurophysiological measures index changes in the OP group, which are similar but moderated in comparison to PP, changes in these processes are not manifest in observational practice outcomes when assessed in a delayed retention test.

Observational Practice Promotes Action-Related Order Formation in Long-Term Memory: Investigating Action Observation and the Development of Cognitive Representation in Complex Motor Action

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cornelia Frank ◽  
Taeho Kim ◽  
Thomas Schack
Keyword(s):  
Motor Learning ◽  
Mental Representation ◽  
Retention Test ◽  
Motor Performance ◽  
Long Term Memory ◽  
Physical Practice ◽  
Term Memory ◽  
Post Test ◽  
Observational Practice

To date, it is commonly agreed that physical practice, as well as mental types of practice, have the potential to bring about improvements in motor performance and to induce motor learning. The perceptual-cognitive representational background of these changes, however, is still being debated. In this experiment, we investigated the influence of observational practice on the performance and the representation of the golf putt. With this we aimed at adding to the ongoing debate on the particular contribution of observational practice to motor learning. Novices were assigned to one of two groups: observational and combined observational and physical practice. Motor performance and mental representation were measured prior to and after practice and after a three-day retention interval. Performance improved in both practice groups from pre- to retention-test. Together with performance improvements, mental representation structures developed functionally and became more elaborate over the course of the experiment. Interestingly, however, the pattern of changes over the course of the experiment and across the two practice types was different. Combined practice led to improvements in motor performance from pre- to post-test with representations developing alongside these improvements. Observational practice alone did not lead to performance improvement until after task execution, as shown by improvements in motor performance from post- to retention-test, even though mental representations changed from pre- to post-test. From this, observational practice seems to promote the development of representational frameworks of complex action, and thus action-related order formation in long-term memory.

Neurophysiological evidence of motor imagery training in Parkinson’s disease: a case series study

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Kathryn J. M. Lambert ◽  
Anthony Singhal ◽  
Ada W. S. Leung
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Motor Learning ◽  
Motor Imagery ◽  
Case Series ◽  
Mu Rhythm ◽  
Mu Suppression ◽  
Case Series Study ◽  
Series Study ◽  
Training Protocol

Abstract Background: Motor imagery (MI) has become an increasingly popular rehabilitation tool for individuals with motor impairments. However, it has been proposed that individuals with Parkinson’s Disease (PKD) may not benefit from MI due to impairments in motor learning. Objective: This case series study investigated the effects of a 4-week MI training protocol on MI ability in three male individuals with PKD, with an emphasis on examining changes in brain responses. Methods: Training was completed primarily at home, via audio recordings, and emphasized the imagination of functional tasks. MI ability was assessed pre and post-training using subjective and objective imagery questionnaires, alongside an electroencephalographic (EEG) recording of a functional MI task. EEG analysis focused on the mu rhythm, as it has been proposed that suppression in the mu rhythm may reflect MI success and motor learning. Previous research has indicated that mu suppression is impaired in individuals with PKD, and may contribute to the disease’s associated deficits in motor learning. Results: Following training, all three participants improved in MI accuracy, but reported no notable improvements in MI vividness. Greater suppression in the mu rhythm was also exhibited by all three participants post-training. Conclusion: These results suggest the participants learned from the training protocol and that individuals with PKD are responsive to MI training. Further research on a larger scale is needed to verify the findings and determine if this learning translates to improvements in motor function.

scholarly journals Motor Learning in Response to Different Experimental Pain Models among Healthy Individuals: A Systematic Review

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Izadi ◽  
Sae Franklin ◽  
Marianna Bellafiore ◽  
David W. Franklin
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Motor Learning ◽  
Learning Process ◽  
Motor Task ◽  
Experimental Pain ◽  
Skill Learning ◽  
Healthy Individuals ◽  
Major Question ◽  
Motor Strategy ◽  
Pain Models

AbstractLearning new movement patterns is a normal part of daily life, but of critical importance in both sport and rehabilitation. A major question is how different sensory signals are integrated together to give rise to motor adaptation and learning. More specifically, there is growing evidence that pain can give rise to alterations in the learning process. Despite a number of studies investigating the role of pain on the learning process, there is still no systematic review to summarize and critically assess investigations regarding this topic in the literature. Here in this systematic review, we summarize and critically evaluate studies that examined the influence of experimental pain on motor learning. Seventeen studies that exclusively assessed the effect of experimental pain models on motor learning among healthy individuals were included for this systematic review, carried out based on the PRISMA statement. The results of the review revealed there is no consensus regarding the effect of pain on the skill learning acquisition and retention. However, several studies demonstrated that participants who experienced pain continued to express a changed motor strategy to perform a motor task even one week after training under the pain condition. The results highlight a need for further studies in this area of research, and specifically to investigate whether pain has different effects on motor learning depending on the type of motor task.

scholarly journals A Short-Term Intervention of High-Intensity Exercise and Anodal-tDCS on Motor Learning in Middle-Aged Adults: An RCT

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clare Quinlan ◽  
Ben Rattray ◽  
Disa Pryor ◽  
Joseph M. Northey ◽  
James Coxon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Motor Learning ◽  
High Intensity ◽  
Exercise Intervention ◽  
Motor Task ◽  
High Intensity Exercise ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Middle Aged Adults

High-intensity exercise has enhanced motor learning in healthy young adults. Anodal-transcranial direct current stimulation (a-tDCS) may optimize these effects. This study aimed to determine the effects of a short-term high-intensity interval exercise intervention either with or without a-tDCS on the learning and retention of a novel motor task in middle-aged adults. Forty-two healthy middle-aged adults (age = 44.6 ± 6.3, female = 76%) were randomized into three groups: exercise and active a-tDCS, exercise and sham a-tDCS, and a non-exercise and sham a-tDCS control. Participants completed a baseline testing session, followed by three intervention sessions 48-h apart. The exercise groups completed 20-min of high-intensity exercise followed by a novel sequential visual isometric pinch task (SVIPT) while receiving 20-min of 1.5 mA a-tDCS, or sham tDCS. The control group completed 20-min of reading before receiving sham a-tDCS during the SVIPT. Learning was assessed by skill change within and between intervention sessions. Participants returned 5–7 days after the final intervention session and performed the SVIPT task to assess retention. All three groups showed evidence of learning on the SVIPT task. Neither group displayed enhanced overall learning or retention when compared to the control group. High-intensity exercise with or without a-tDCS did not improve learning or retention of a novel motor task in middle-aged adults. The methodological framework provides direction for future research to investigate the potential of differing exercise intensity effects on learning and retention.

scholarly journals Combining Effect of Observational Practice, Mental Imagery and Physical Practice on learning a Soccer Dribbling Task in Amateur Boys

2019 ◽  
pp. 36-43
Author(s):  
Amir Vazini Taher ◽  
Ratko Pavlovic ◽  
Iryna Skrypchenko
Keyword(s):  
Mental Imagery ◽  
Retention Test ◽  
Training Session ◽  
Physical Practice ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Imagery Group ◽  
Research Task ◽  
Observational Group ◽  
Observational Practice ◽  
One Way Anova

This study aimed to investigate the facilitative effect of observational practice combined with mental imagery on learning of soccer dribbling. 140 young boys with the average age of 14,52 (±2,96) and mental imagery score of 48,69 (±5,1), who were unfamiliar with the research task, voluntarily participated in this study. The participants were assigned to homogenous groups according to their pre-tests results as follow: 1- physical practice; 2- observational practice; 3-mental imagery practice; 4-physical-observational practice; 5-physical-mental imagery practice; 6- observational-mental imagery practice and 7- physical-observational-mental imagery practice. Then the participants completed three sessions including ninety trials. At the end of the final training session, an immediate retention test was conducted that followed by a delayed retention test after 48 hours. The results of One-Way ANOVA test indicated that in both immediate and delayed retention tests, the physical-observational-mental imagery group and the physical group had a better performance compared with other groups (p<.05). Furthermore, the combined physical-mental imagery group obtained higher scores in soccer dribbling task in comparison with the combined physical-observational group. The findings support the beneficial effects of cognitive interventions as well as physical practice.

Laterality, bimanual interference and short-term motor learning of fine motor movements in childhood and adolescence

2012 ◽  
Vol 43 (02) ◽  
Author(s):  
P Hernáiz Driever ◽  
R Burghardt ◽  
A Bierbaum ◽  
S Hager ◽  
S Rückriegel
Keyword(s):  
Motor Learning ◽  
Fine Motor ◽  
Childhood And Adolescence ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Motor Movements ◽  
Bimanual Interference

Acute blood neutrophilia induced by short-term compost dust exposure in previously unexposed healthy individuals

2006 ◽  
Vol 79 (6) ◽  
pp. 477-482 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tim Müller ◽  
Rudolf A. Jörres ◽  
Eva Maria Scharrer ◽  
Harald Hessel ◽  
Dennis Nowak ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dust Exposure ◽  
Healthy Individuals ◽  
Short Term

scholarly journals Neurophysiological changes in the visuomotor network after practicing a motor task

2018 ◽  
Vol 120 (1) ◽  
pp. 239-249 ◽  
Author(s):  
James E. Gehringer ◽  
David J. Arpin ◽  
Elizabeth Heinrichs-Graham ◽  
Tony W. Wilson ◽  
Max J. Kurz
Keyword(s):  
Motor Learning ◽  
Motor Planning ◽  
Motor Task ◽  
Force Production ◽  
Oscillatory Activity ◽  
Matching Task ◽  
Force Output ◽  
Motor Action ◽  
Visuomotor Transformations ◽  
Target Matching

Although it is well appreciated that practicing a motor task updates the associated internal model, it is still unknown how the cortical oscillations linked with the motor action change with practice. The present study investigates the short-term changes (e.g., fast motor learning) in the α- and β-event-related desynchronizations (ERD) associated with the production of a motor action. To this end, we used magnetoencephalography to identify changes in the α- and β-ERD in healthy adults after participants practiced a novel isometric ankle plantarflexion target-matching task. After practicing, the participants matched the targets faster and had improved accuracy, faster force production, and a reduced amount of variability in the force output when trying to match the target. Parallel with the behavioral results, the strength of the β-ERD across the motor-planning and execution stages was reduced after practice in the sensorimotor and occipital cortexes. No pre/postpractice changes were found in the α-ERD during motor planning or execution. Together, these outcomes suggest that fast motor learning is associated with a decrease in β-ERD power. The decreased strength likely reflects a more refined motor plan, a reduction in neural resources needed to perform the task, and/or an enhancement of the processes that are involved in the visuomotor transformations that occur before the onset of the motor action. These results may augment the development of neurologically based practice strategies and/or lead to new practice strategies that increase motor learning. NEW & NOTEWORTHY We aimed to determine the effects of practice on the movement-related cortical oscillatory activity. Following practice, we found that the performance of the ankle plantarflexion target-matching task improved and the power of the β-oscillations decreased in the sensorimotor and occipital cortexes. These novel findings capture the β-oscillatory activity changes in the sensorimotor and occipital cortexes that are coupled with behavioral changes to demonstrate the effects of motor learning.

scholarly journals Short- and Long-term Biologic Variability of Galectin-3 and Other Cardiac Biomarkers in Patients with Stable Heart Failure and Healthy Adults

2016 ◽  
Vol 62 (2) ◽  
pp. 360-366 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily I Schindler ◽  
Jeffrey J Szymanski ◽  
Karl G Hock ◽  
Edward M Geltman ◽  
Mitchell G Scott
Keyword(s):  
Heart Failure ◽  
Troponin I ◽  
Prognostic Biomarker ◽  
High Sensitivity ◽  
Cardiac Biomarkers ◽  
Healthy Individuals ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Galectin 3 ◽  
Short And Long Term

Abstract BACKGROUND Galectin-3 (Gal-3) has been suggested as a prognostic biomarker in heart failure (HF) patients that may better reflect disease progression than traditional markers, including B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and cardiac troponins. To fully establish the utility of any biomarker in HF, its biologic variability must be characterized. METHODS To assess biologic variability, 59 patients were prospectively recruited, including 23 male and 16 female patients with stable HF and 10 male and 10 female healthy individuals. Gal-3, BNP, and high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI) were assayed at 5 time points within a 3-week period to assess short-term biologic variability. Long-term (3-month) biologic variability was assessed with samples collected at enrollment and after 4, 8, and 12 weeks. RESULTS Among healthy individuals, mean short-term biologic variability, expressed as intraindividual CV (CVI), was 4.5% for Gal-3, 29.0% for BNP, and 14.5% for hs-cTnI; long-term biologic variability was 5.5% for Gal-3, 34.7% for BNP, and 14.7% for hs-cTnI. In stable HF patients, mean short-term biologic variability was 7.1% for Gal-3, 22.5% for BNP, and 8.5% for hs-cTnI, and mean long-term biologic variability was 7.7% for Gal-3, 27.6% for BNP, and 9.6% for hs-cTnI. CONCLUSIONS The finding that Gal-3 has minimal intraindividual biological variability adds to its potential as a useful biomarker in HF patients.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document