Long-term motor skill learning has been consistently shown to result in functional as well as structural changes in the adult human brain. However, the effect of short learning periods on brain structure is not well understood. In the present study, subjects performed a sequential pinch force task (SPFT) for 20 min on 5 consecutive days. Changes in brain structure were evaluated with anatomical...

27 Convergent findings point to a left-sided specialization for the representation of learned actions in right28 handed humans, but it is unknown whether analogous hemispheric specialization exists for motor skill 29 learning. Here, we explored this question by comparing the effects of anodal transcranial direct current 30 stimulation (tDCS) over either left or right motor cortex (M1) on motor ...

Skill acquisition is a form of motor learning that may provide key insights into the aging brain. Although previous work suggests that older adults learn novel motor tasks slower and to a lesser extent than younger adults, we have recently demonstrated no significant effect of chronological age on the rates and amounts of skill acquisition, nor on its long-term retention, in adults over the age...

Convergent findings point to a left-sided specialization for the representation of learned actions in right-handed humans, but it is unknown whether analogous hemispheric specialization exists for motor skill learning. In the present study, we explored this question by comparing the effects of anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over either left or right motor cortex (M1) on m...

OBJECTIVE: In both clinical practice and research, motor delay is understood to be explained, at least in part, by intellectual abilities; however, no data are available to operationalize these criteria to guide clinical decision making. This study provides data on IQ and motor skills in children to answer 3 research questions concerning the relationship between IQ and motor skill: (1) Can moto...

Introduction: Based on the literature, unihemispheric concurrent dual-site anodal transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (a-tDCSUHCDS) of primary Motor cortex (M1) and Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex (DLPFC) would be more efficient than conventional a-tDCS of M1 to induce larger and longer-lasting M1 corticospinal excitability. The main objective of the present study was to compare the effects ...

Using a quasiexperimental design, the authors examine whether fourth- and fifth-grade students exposed to a developmental physical education (PE) curriculum, Michigan's Exemplary Physical Education Curriculum (EPEC), demonstrated stronger motor skill-specific self-efficacy and perceptions of physical activity competence, physical activity levels, motor skills, and physical fitness than did stud...

BACKGROUND Age-associated neural changes profoundly affect the biomechanics and energetics of walking, increase energy cost, and require novel approaches to exercise that focus on motor learning theory. METHODS We present a conceptual framework for motor skill in walking, its effect on the energy cost of walking, and the influence of the aging brain. RESULTS Motor learning theory and practi...

To investigate cerebral mechanisms underlying learning of motor skill, we assessed serial changes of cortical activation patterns during a pursuit rotor (PR) task in 18 right-handed, healthy subjects using a functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) system. Subjects performed the task with the right hand for 30 s alternated with 30-s rest for 8 repetitions (cycle1 to 8). Gains in motor skil...