Improved Neural Control of Movements Manifests in Expertise-Related Differences in Force Output and Brain Network...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Motor Control
• Human Factors

Background:

• Continuous practice and expertise can mitigate age-related fine motor skill decline.
• Mechanisms underlying this protective effect, whether improved baseline performance or compensatory neural changes, require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To elucidate expertise-related alterations in fine motor control, focusing on force output and associated electrophysiological markers.
• To understand how expertise influences the initial state and compensatory strategies for age-related motor decline.

Main Methods:

• A multidimensional approach was used to compare fine motor control in experts and novices during a dynamic force task.
• Force output was analyzed for precision, variability, and complexity.
• Dynamic Mode Decomposition (DMD) analyzed electrophysiological data (α-band) to assess sensorimotor network dynamics.

Main Results:

• Experts demonstrated superior force output: higher precision, lower variability, and increased complexity.
• Experts exhibited reduced task-related DMD mean mode magnitudes in the α-band over sensorimotor areas.
• Lower DMD mean mode magnitudes correlated with force output in novices.

Conclusions:

• Expertise induces central adaptations, characterized by a more complex and decentralized organization of sensorimotor subsystems.
• These findings represent a step towards understanding expertise as a resource for healthy aging and mitigating motor decline.