Brain-spinal cord interaction in long-term motor sequence learning in human: An fMRI study

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Motor Control
• Motor Learning

Background:

• The spinal cord's role in human motor learning is not fully understood.
• While spinal circuits are active in early motor learning, long-term changes remain unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate spinal-cerebral functional plasticity during six days of motor sequence learning.
• To understand how spinal cord activation and connectivity change with progressive motor learning.

Main Methods:

• Simultaneous functional imaging of the brain and cervical spinal cord.
• Electromyography of wrist muscles during a visually-guided sequence task and a control task.
• Comparison of spinal and brain activity between early and late learning phases.

Main Results:

• Motor performance improved with training, showing decreased co-contractions and increased reciprocal muscle activation.
• Spinal cord activation shifted rostrally (C6-C7) in later learning stages, from an initial caudal (C8) focus.
• Increased spinal cord functional connectivity with brain networks (motor cortex, cerebellum, parietal regions) was observed.

Conclusions:

• Motor sequence learning involves progressive shifts in spinal cord activation patterns.
• Spinal-cerebral plasticity, including altered connectivity, supports the refinement of fine motor control during learning.
• The findings highlight the dynamic role of the spinal cord in long-term motor skill acquisition.