title: Coherence and phase locking of intracerebral activation during visuo- and audio-motor learning of continuous tracking movements.
abstract: The aim of the present study was to assess changes in EEG coherence and phase locking between fronto-parietal areas, including the frontal and parietal motor areas, during early audio- and visuo-motor learning of continuous tracking movements. Subjects learned to turn a steering-wheel according to a given trajectory in order to minimise the discrepancy between a changing foreground stimulus (controllable by the subjects) and a constant background stimulus (uncontrollable) for both the auditory and the visual modality. In the auditory condition, we uncovered a learning-related increase in inter-hemispheric phase locking between inferior parietal regions, suggesting that coupling between areas involved in audiomotor integration is augmented during early learning stages. Intra-hemispheric phase locking between motor and superior parietal areas increased in the left hemisphere as learning progressed, indicative of integrative processes of spatial information and movement execution. Further tests show a significant correlation of intra-hemispheric phase locking between the motor and the parietal area bilaterally and movement performance in the visual condition. These results suggest that the motor-parietal network is operative in the auditory and in the visual condition. This study confirms that a complex fronto-parietal network subserves learning of a new movement that requires sensorimotor transformation and demonstrates the importance of interregional coupling as a neural correlate for successful acquisition and implementation of externally guided behaviour.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychology, Institute for Psychology, University of Zurich, Binzmühlestrasse 14/25, 8050 Zurich, Switzerland. j.blum@psychologie.uzh.ch
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Blum
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lutz
authors.forename: Lutz
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jäncke
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000328:Adult; D000465:Algorithms; D001307:Auditory Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000502:physiology; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005133:Eye Movements / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007858:Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009044:Motor Cortex / Q000502:physiology; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*