title: Dynamic changes in the cortico-subcortical network during early motor learning.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Failure of early motor learning due to damage in any brain area involved in this process may interfere with successful rehabilitation of such patients.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We investigated the changes in activation of the motor network during sequential finger motor learning to delineate the characteristics of the cortico-subcortical network during motor skill learning.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty healthy, right-handed volunteers participated. Subjects were instructed to perform eight blocks of a sequential finger motor task while functional MRI (fMRI) was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The participants had an improvement in performance over time from block 1 to block 4, indicating that successful learning had occurred, followed by a plateau from block 5 to the last block. On fMRI, activities of the contralateral primary sensorimotor cortex, the premotor cortex, the supplementary motor area, and the posterior parietal cortex gradually increased from block 1 to block 4 and then decreased from block 5 to the last. In contrast, activity of the ipsilateral cerebellum showed a linear increase spanning the last block with peak activation. The thalamus and basal ganglia showed unilateral or bilateral activities at the unique stage of motor learning.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings delineated the characteristic plastic changes and different roles of the cortico-subcortical network during the early phase of motor learning and automatization.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy, Catholic University of Daegu, Daegu, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Ji-Won
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Yun-Hee
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Sung Ho
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.forename: Won Hyuk
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Chang-hyun
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Sung Tae
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000098:blood supply / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005385:Fingers / Q000502:physiology; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D007858:Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D009048:Motor Skills / Q000502:physiology*; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000098:blood supply / Q000502:physiology; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000098:blood supply / Q000502:physiology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D017711:Nonlinear Dynamics; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D010100:Oxygen