Sensorimotor adaptation: multiple forms of plasticity in motor circuits

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Motor Control
• Neuroplasticity

Background:

• The adult central nervous system retains the capacity for functional and structural changes.
• Learning, particularly procedural motor learning, drives adaptive plasticity in mammals.
• Sensorimotor adaptation is crucial for maintaining movement accuracy during perturbations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review experimental evidence on the neural sites of sensorimotor adaptation.
• To explore plasticity at various organizational levels within the nervous system.

Main Methods:

• Review of experimental data from rodents.
• Review of experimental data from human primates.
• Review of experimental data from nonhuman primates.

Main Results:

• Evidence suggests plasticity occurs at multiple levels of the nervous system.
• Identified potential sites for adaptation-related neural plasticity.

Conclusions:

• Sensorimotor adaptation involves plasticity distributed across different neural levels.
• Understanding these sites is key to comprehending motor learning and recovery.