Abstract
Though we have a general understanding of the brain areas involved in motor sequence learning, there is more to discover about the neural mechanisms underlying skill acquisition. Skill acquisition may be subserved, in part, by interactions between the cerebellum and prefrontal cortex through a cerebello-thalamo-prefrontal network. In prior work, we investigated this network by targeting the cerebellum; here, we explored the consequence of stimulating the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex using high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) before administering an explicit motor sequence learning paradigm. Using a mixed within- and between- subjects design, we employed anodal (n = 24) and cathodal (n = 25) HD-tDCS (relative to sham) to temporarily alter brain function and examine effects on skill acquisition. The results indicate that both anodal and cathodal prefrontal stimulation impedes motor sequence learning, relative to sham. These findings suggest an overall negative influence of active prefrontal stimulation on the acquisition of a sequential pattern of finger movements. Collectively, this provides novel insight on the role of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in initial skill acquisition, when cognitive processes such as working memory are used. Exploring methods that may improve motor learning is important in developing therapeutic strategies for motor-related diseases and rehabilitation.
Highlights
Movement coordination and motor skill acquisition are important for routine functioning and day-to-day tasks
We suggest that our stimulation montage primarily impacted the dorsolateral PFC (DLPFC), current may have spread to other regions of the prefrontal cortex (PFC), including premotor or even motor cortical regions
As the current body of literature concerning the effects of PFC stimulation on motor sequence learning heavily relies on work investigating implicit aspects of skill acquisition using the traditional 2-pad technique in an online context, our work provides essential insight on the impact of offline high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)) when applied to the left DLPFC
Summary
Movement coordination and motor skill acquisition are important for routine functioning and day-to-day tasks (i.e., riding a bike, playing a musical instrument, and playing sports). The ability to adequately learn and perform a skill is crucial for the execution of conventional actions that impact everyday tasks. The capacity to relearn motor skills after injury or infarct is of interest, considering the impact of motor-related issues on daily functioning. As such, investigating the neural circuitry and underlying mechanisms of motor sequence.
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