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Somatosensory perceptual training enhances motor learning by observing
Heather R McGregor1,2,3, Joshua G A Cashaback1, Paul L Gribble1,2,4,5
1The Brain and Mind Institute, The University of Western Ontario , London, Ontario , Canada.
Journal of Neurophysiology
|September 20, 2018
Summary
Improving somatosensory function enhances motor learning from observing others. Perceptual training primes the sensory-motor system, boosting observational learning gains for conditions like stroke.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Motor Control
- Sensory Perception
Background:
- Action observation activates sensory-motor regions and facilitates motor learning.
- Observing motor learning induces plasticity in motor and somatosensory systems.
- Evidence suggests the somatosensory system may play a role in observational motor learning.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if enhancing somatosensory function improves motor learning through observation.
- To test the hypothesis that the somatosensory system is involved in observational motor learning.
Main Methods:
- Subjects performed a proprioceptive discrimination task with or without feedback (perceptual training).
- All subjects then observed a video of a tutor learning a motor task.
- Motor learning gains from observation were compared between groups.
Main Results:
- Subjects with improved proprioceptive acuity (trained group) showed greater motor learning from observation.
- Pre-observation somatosensory enhancement positively correlated with observational learning benefits.
Conclusions:
- Improving somatosensory function enhances motor learning derived from observing others.
- Somatosensory perceptual training can facilitate subsequent observational motor learning.
- The somatosensory system supports motor learning via observation, with potential therapeutic implications for movement disorders.
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