title: Remote Effects of Non-Invasive Cerebellar Stimulation on Error Processing in Motor Re-Learning.
abstract: While concurrent transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) affects motor memory acquisition and long-term retention, it is unclear how behavioral interference modulates long-term tDCS effects. Behavioral interference can be introduced through a secondary task learned in-between motor memory acquisition and later recall of the original task.
  
  
  
  The cerebellum is important for the processing of errors if movements should be adapted to external perturbations (motor memory acquisition). We hypothesized that concurrent cerebellar tDCS during adaptation influences both memory acquisition and re-acquisition if motor errors are enlarged due to behavioral interference.
  
  
  
  In a sham-controlled and double-blinded study, we applied anodal and cathodal tDCS to the ipsilateral cerebellum while subjects adapted reaching movements to an external, clockwise force field perturbation (acquisition task A) with their dominant right arm. Behavioral interference by an oppositely oriented, counter-clockwise perturbation (secondary task B) was introduced in between the acquisition and re-acquisition (24 h later) sessions.
  
  
  
  Learning task B disrupted memory retention of A and re-increased motor errors in the re-acquisition session. Anodal but not sham or cathodal tDCS impaired motor memory acquisition and, additionally, increased motor errors during re-acquisition of the original motor memory.
  
  
  
  Behavioral interference disrupted motor memory retention but tDCS delivered online during memory acquisition induced lasting and robust effects on re-acquisition performance one day later. Our data also suggest different error-processing mechanisms at work during motor memory acquisition and re-acquisition.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Max-Planck-Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, 04103 Leipzig, Germany. Electronic address: taubert@cbs.mpg.de.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Taubert
authors.affiliation: YIG "Computational Motor Control and Learning", BioMotion Center, Institute of Sports and Sports Science, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology Karlsruhe, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany.
authors.forename: Thorsten
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Stein
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Max-Planck-Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Tommy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kreutzberg
authors.affiliation: YIG "Computational Motor Control and Learning", BioMotion Center, Institute of Sports and Sports Science, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology Karlsruhe, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stockinger
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Max-Planck-Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Lukas
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hecker
authors.affiliation: YIG "Computational Motor Control and Learning", BioMotion Center, Institute of Sports and Sports Science, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology Karlsruhe, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Focke
authors.affiliation: Institute of General Kinesiology and Athletics Training, University of Leipzig, 04109 Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ragert
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Max-Planck-Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; Clinic for Cognitive Neurology, University Hospital Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Arno
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Villringer
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, BG University Hospital Bergmannsheil, Ruhr-University Bochum, 44789 Bochum, Germany.
authors.forename: Burkhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pleger
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000328:Adult; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000502:physiology*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D065908:Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Anodal; Cathodal; Cerebellum; Force field adaptation; Interference; Transcranial direct current stimulation