Graduate School of Health Sciences, Sapporo Medical University, Sapporo, Japan.
Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health Science, Sapporo Medical University, Sapporo, Japan.
Brain Behav. 2020 Aug;10(8):e01624. doi: 10.1002/brb3.1624. Epub 2020 Jun 25.
Repetitive practice of sensorimotor tasks is widely used for neurorehabilitation; however, it is unknown how practice alters sensory processing (e.g., recognition, discrimination, and attentional allocation) and associated cognitive processing, such as decision-making. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether long-latency somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) reflecting sensory processing, attention, and decision-making are altered by sensorimotor learning.
Fifteen participants performed a simple sensorimotor response task (thumb opposition in response to surface electrical stimulation), with experimental recording sessions before and after three days of practice. We then compared multiple SEP waveforms and reaction times (RTs) between pre- and postpractice trials.
The RT was reduced after practice of three days, and we found a significant positive correlation between ΔRT and ΔN140 at F3, Cz, and C3', ΔRT and ΔN250 at F3, and there was a significant negative correlation between ΔRT and ΔP300 at C3'.
The present study suggests that motor learning improves somatosensory processing and attentional allocation via neuroplasticity and that these alterations are reflected by specific SEP changes.
重复性的感觉运动任务练习被广泛应用于神经康复；然而，其对感觉处理（如识别、区分和注意力分配）和相关认知处理（如决策）的影响尚不清楚。本研究的目的是探讨感觉运动学习是否会改变反映感觉处理、注意力和决策的长潜伏期体感诱发电位（SEP）。
15 名参与者进行了一项简单的感觉运动反应任务（拇指对表面电刺激的反应），在三天的练习前后进行了实验记录。然后，我们比较了预练习和后练习试验之间的多个 SEP 波形和反应时间（RT）。
练习三天后 RT 降低，我们发现 F3、Cz 和 C3' 处的 ΔRT 与 ΔN140 之间呈正相关，F3 处的 ΔRT 与 ΔN250 之间呈正相关，C3' 处的 ΔRT 与 ΔP300 之间呈负相关。
本研究表明，运动学习通过神经可塑性提高了感觉处理和注意力分配，并且这些变化可以通过特定的 SEP 变化来反映。
