Functional connectivity patterns during motor behaviour: the impact of past on present activity

Everyday behaviour often depends on the performance of multiple movements executed in a particular order. Here, the impact of task history on the neural activation patterns of motor behaviour is examined by evaluating unimanual and bimanual actions that are produced in a serial arrangement, such that switching between tasks is required. Cortical dynamics was assessed by means of EEG coherence in the beta frequency band (13-30 Hz). Results showed that although behavioural performance was not affected, switching trials induced increased coherence as compared to control (repeat) trials. This reorganization was dependent on task history and was more pronounced for unimanual than for bimanual tasks. Overall, the data illustrate that neural processing of motor behaviour within a serial arrangement integrates past and present activity, and accordingly impacts on neural efficiency.