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Updated: Jul 20, 2026

Study Motor Skill Learning by Single-pellet Reaching Tasks in Mice
Published on: March 4, 2014
Early boost and slow consolidation in motor skill learning
Christophe Hotermans1, Philippe Peigneux, Alain Maertens de Noordhout
1Cyclotron Research Centre, University of Liège, B-4000 Liège, Belgium.
Abstract:
Motorskill learning is a dynamic process that continues covertly after training has ended and eventually leads to delayed increments in performance. Current theories suggest that this off-line improvement takes time and appears only after several hours. Here we show an early transient and short-lived boost in performance, emerging as early as 5-30 min after training but no longer observed 4 h later. This early boost is predictive of the performance achieved 48 h later, suggesting its functional relevance for memory processes.
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