Abstract
The ability to learn and perform a sequence of movements is a key component of voluntary motor behavior. During the learning of sequential movements, individuals go through distinct stages of performance improvement. For instance, sequential movements are initially learned relatively fast and later learned more slowly. Over multiple sessions of repetitive practice, performance of the sequential movements can be further improved to the expert level and maintained as a motor skill. How the brain binds elementary movements together into a meaningful action has been a topic of much interest. Studies in human and non-human primates have shown that a brain-wide distributed network is active during the learning and performance of skilled sequential movements. The current challenge is to identify a unique contribution of each area to the complex process of learning and maintenance of skilled sequential movements. Here, I bring together the recent progress in the field to discuss the distinct roles of cortical motor areas in this process.
Highlights
The production of sequential movements is a fundamental aspect of voluntary behavior
Human imaging studies have shown that a brain-wide distributed network, which is composed of the presupplementary motor area, supplementary motor area (SMA), dorsal premotor cortex (PMd), primary motor cortex (M1), primary somatosensory cortex, superior parietal lobule, thalamus, basal ganglia, and the cerebellum, subserves the learning and performance of skilled sequential movements (e.g., Shibasaki et al, 1993; Grafton et al, 1994, 1995; Karni et al, 1995; Hikosaka et al, 1996, 2002; Sakai et al, 1998; Ungerleider et al, 2002; Dayan and Cohen, 2011; Hardwick et al, 2013)
The results suggest that, M1 is critical for movement production, it is involved in the maintenance of skilled sequential movements (Ohbayashi, 2020)
Summary
The production of sequential movements is a fundamental aspect of voluntary behavior. The performance of sequential movements can be acquired and improved to the expert level through extensive practice (Rosenbaum, 2010) Such performance can be maintained as a motor skill. Neural activity has been shown to change as a result of practice on motor skill tasks (e.g., Grafton et al, 1994; Karni et al, 1995; Sakai et al, 1998; Coynel et al, 2010). I will discuss the contributions of the SMA, PMd, and M1 to the learning and performance of spatial sequence tasks and how the skilled sequential movements are maintained after extensive practice
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