title: Investigating Motor Skill Learning Processes with a Robotic Manipulandum.
abstract: Skilled reaching tasks are commonly used in studies of motor skill learning and motor function under healthy and pathological conditions, but can be time-intensive and ambiguous to quantify beyond simple success rates. Here, we describe the training procedure for reach-and-pull tasks with ETH Pattus, a robotic platform for automated forelimb reaching training that records pulling and hand rotation movements in rats. Kinematic quantification of the performed pulling attempts reveals the presence of distinct temporal profiles of movement parameters such as pulling velocity, spatial variability of the pulling trajectory, deviation from midline, as well as pulling success. We show how minor adjustments in the training paradigm result in alterations in these parameters, revealing their relation to task difficulty, general motor function or skilled task execution. Combined with electrophysiological, pharmacological and optogenetic techniques, this paradigm can be used to explore the mechanisms underlying motor learning and memory formation, as well as loss and recovery of function (e.g. after stroke).
authors.affiliation: Division of Vascular Neurology and Rehabilitation, Department of Neurology, University Hospital Zurich; susanleemburg@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Leemburg
authors.affiliation: Division of Vascular Neurology and Rehabilitation, Department of Neurology, University Hospital Zurich.
authors.forename: Maiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Iijima
authors.affiliation: Rehabilitation Engineering Laboratory, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich.
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Lambercy
authors.affiliation: Division of Vascular Neurology and Rehabilitation, Department of Neurology, University Hospital Zurich.
authors.forename: Lauriane
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nallet-Khosrofian
authors.affiliation: Rehabilitation Engineering Laboratory, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich.
authors.forename: Roger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gassert
authors.affiliation: Division of Vascular Neurology and Rehabilitation, Department of Neurology, University Hospital Zurich; andreas.luft@uzh.ch.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Luft
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D005552:Forelimb / Q000503:physiopathology; D007858:Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009044:Motor Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology; D009048:Motor Skills / Q000502:physiology*; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D020318:Rats, Long-Evans; D065287:Robotic Surgical Procedures; D012371:Robotics; D020521:Stroke / Q000503:physiopathology