Learning new gait patterns is enhanced by specificity of training rather than progression of task difficulty.

ABSTRACT: The use of motor learning strategies may enhance rehabilitation outcomes of individuals with neurological injuries (e.g., stroke or cerebral palsy). A common strategy to facilitate learning of challenging tasks is to use sequential progression - i.e., initially reduce task difficulty and slowly increase task difficulty until the desired difficulty level is reached. However, the evidence related to the use of such sequential progressions to improve learning is mixed for functional skill learning tasks, especially considering situations where practice duration is limited. Here, we studied the benefits of sequential progression using a functional motor learning task that has been previously used in gait rehabilitation. Three groups of participants (N = 43) learned a novel motor task during tr

SUBMITTER: Krishnan C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6512968 | biostudies-literature | 2019 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature