title: Successive roles of the cerebellum and premotor cortices in trajectorial learning.
abstract: The structures of the human brain engaged during learning of unilateral trajectorial hand movements were mapped by measurements of regional cerebral blood flow. Trajectorial movement velocity accelerated moderately after short-term training p < 0.025 and increased further after long-term training p < 0.01. During the early phase of learning there was a significant activation p < 0.001 of the ipsilateral dentate nucleus. By contrast, after overlearning the premotor cortical areas in both cerebral hemispheres were maximally activated p < 0.001, while the dentate nucleus was no longer activated. It is suggested that learning of new movement trajectories involves the cerebellum, while overlearned trajectorial movements engage the premotor cortex.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Seitz
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Canavan
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yágüez
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Herzog
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tellmann
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Knorr
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Hömberg
mesh_terms: D002531:Cerebellum / Q000502:physiology*; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006236:Handwriting; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology; D009044:Motor Cortex / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed