Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, 3015 GD Rotterdam, Netherlands.
Delft University of Technology, Department of Biomechanical Engineering, 2628 DS Delft, Netherlands.
Neuroimage. 2021 Oct 15;240:118373. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118373. Epub 2021 Jul 8.
Neurophysiologic correlates of motor learning that can be monitored during neurorehabilitation interventions can facilitate the development of more effective learning methods. Previous studies have focused on the role of the beta band (14-30 Hz) because of its clear response during motor activity. However, it is difficult to discriminate between beta activity related to learning a movement and performing the movement. In this study, we analysed differences in the electroencephalography (EEG) power spectra of complex and simple explicit sequential motor tasks in healthy young subjects. The complex motor task (CMT) allowed EEG measurement related to motor learning. In contrast, the simple motor task (SMT) made it possible to control for EEG activity associated with performing the movement without significant motor learning. Source reconstruction of the EEG revealed task-related activity from 5 clusters covering both primary motor cortices (M1) and 3 clusters localised to different parts of the cingulate cortex (CC). We found no association between M1 beta power and learning, but the CMT produced stronger bilateral beta suppression compared to the SMT. However, there was a positive association between contralateral M1 theta (5-8 Hz) and alpha (8-12 Hz) power and motor learning, and theta and alpha power in the posterior mid-CC and posterior CC were positively associated with greater motor learning. These findings suggest that the theta and alpha bands are more related to motor learning than the beta band, which might merely relate to the level of perceived difficulty during learning.
神经生理相关性的运动学习，可以在神经康复干预期间监测，可以促进更有效的学习方法的发展。先前的研究集中在β波段（14-30 Hz）的作用，因为它在运动活动中有明显的反应。然而，很难区分与学习运动和执行运动相关的β活动。在这项研究中，我们分析了健康年轻受试者复杂和简单显性序列运动任务的脑电图（EEG）功率谱的差异。复杂运动任务（CMT）允许与运动学习相关的 EEG 测量。相比之下，简单运动任务（SMT）可以控制与执行运动相关的 EEG 活动，而无需进行显著的运动学习。EEG 的源重建揭示了来自 5 个集群的与任务相关的活动，这些集群覆盖了初级运动皮层（M1）和 3 个集群，位于扣带皮层（CC）的不同部位。我们没有发现 M1β功率与学习之间的相关性，但 CMT 与 SMT 相比产生了更强的双侧β抑制。然而，在对侧 M1θ（5-8 Hz）和α（8-12 Hz）功率与运动学习之间存在正相关，而中后扣带皮层和后扣带皮层的θ和α功率与更大的运动学习正相关。这些发现表明，与β波段相比，θ和α波段与运动学习的相关性更强，而β波段可能仅与学习过程中的感知难度水平有关。
