Motor skill learning, retention, and control deficits in Parkinson's disease.

ABSTRACT: Parkinson's disease, which affects the basal ganglia, is known to lead to various impairments of motor control. Since the basal ganglia have also been shown to be involved in learning processes, motor learning has frequently been investigated in this group of patients. However, results are still inconsistent, mainly due to skill levels and time scales of testing. To bridge across the time scale problem, the present study examined de novo skill learning over a long series of practice sessions that comprised early and late learning stages as well as retention. 19 non-demented, medicated, mild to moderate patients with Parkinson's disease and 19 healthy age and gender matched participants practiced a novel throwing task over five days in a virtual environment where timing of release was a cri

SUBMITTER: Pendt LK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3132742 | biostudies-literature | 2011

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature