Krebs H I, Brashers-Krug T, Rauch S L, Savage C R, Hogan N, Rubin R H, Fischman A J, Alpert N M
Department of Ocean Engineering, MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.
Hum Brain Mapp. 1998;6(1):59-72. doi: 10.1002/(SICI)1097-0193(1998)6:1<59::AID-HBM5>3.0.CO;2-K.
The purpose of this study was to examine the neural activity underlying an implicit motor learning task. In particular, our goals were to determine whether initial phases of procedural learning of a motor task involve areas of the brain distinct from those involved in later phases of learning the task, and what changes in neural activity coincide with performance improvement. We describe a novel integration of robotic technology with functional brain imaging and its use in this study of implicit motor learning. A portable robotic device was used to generate forces that disturbed the subjects' arm movements, thereby generating a "virtual mechanical environment" that the subjects learned to manipulate. Positron emission tomography (PET) was used to measure indices of neural activity underlying learning of the motor task. Eight health, right-handed male subjects participated in the study. Results support the hypothesis that different stages of implicit learning (early and late implicit learning) occur in an orderly fashion, and that distinct neural structures may be involved in these different stages. In particular, neuroimaging results indicate that the cortico-striatal loop may play a significant role during early learning, and that the cortico-cerebellar loop may play a significant role during late learning.
本研究的目的是检验内隐运动学习任务背后的神经活动。具体而言，我们的目标是确定运动任务程序性学习的初始阶段所涉及的脑区是否与该任务学习后期所涉及的脑区不同，以及神经活动的哪些变化与表现改善相一致。我们描述了机器人技术与功能性脑成像的一种新型整合及其在这项内隐运动学习研究中的应用。使用一个便携式机器人装置来产生干扰受试者手臂运动的力，从而生成一个受试者学习去操控的“虚拟机械环境”。正电子发射断层扫描（PET）被用于测量运动任务学习背后的神经活动指标。八名健康的右利手男性受试者参与了该研究。结果支持这样的假设，即内隐学习的不同阶段（早期和晚期内隐学习）以有序的方式发生，并且不同的神经结构可能参与这些不同阶段。特别是，神经成像结果表明皮质 - 纹状体环路可能在早期学习中起重要作用，而皮质 - 小脑环路可能在后期学习中起重要作用。
