Modulating the Structure of Motor Variability for Skill Learning Through Specific Muscle Synergies in Elderlies and Young Adults.

ABSTRACT: Objective: Motor variability - performance variations across task repetitions - has been assumed to be undesirable. But recent studies argue that variability facilitates early motor learning by allowing exploratory search of reward-generating motion, and that variability's structure may be modulated by neural circuits for furthering learning. What are the neural sources of learning-relevant motor variability and its modulation in humans of different ages? Methods: Elderlies and young adults played a 3-session virtual bowling while multi-muscle electromyographic signals were collected. We quantified trial-to-trial variability of muscle synergies - neuromotor control modules - and of their activations. Results: In elderlies, bowling-score gain correlated with change of a

SUBMITTER: Cheung VCK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8979619 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature