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Updated: Jan 12, 2026

Study Motor Skill Learning by Single-pellet Reaching Tasks in Mice
Published on: March 4, 2014
Cingulate and striatal hubs are linked to early skill learning
Hisato Sugata1, Fumiaki Iwane2, William Hayward2
1Human Cortical Physiology and Neurorehabilitation Section, NINDS, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA; Faculty of Welfare and Health Science, Oita University, Oita, Japan.
Abstract:
Early skill learning develops in the context of activity changes in distributed cortico-subcortical regions. Here, we investigated network hubs-centers of information integration and transmission-within the brain network supporting early skill learning. We recorded magnetoencephalographic (MEG) brain activity in healthy human subjects who learned a challenging sequence skill with their non-dominant left hand. We then computed network hub strength by summing top 10 % functional connectivity over 86 parcellated brain regions (AAL3 atlas) and five brain oscillatory frequency bands (alpha, low-, high-beta, low- and high-gamma). Virtually all skill gains developed during rest intervals of early learning (micro-offline gains). MEG hub strength in the alpha band (8-13 Hz) in bilateral anterior cingulate (ACC) and caudate and in the low-beta band (13-16 Hz) in bilateral caudate and right putamen correlated with micro-offline gains. These regions linked strongly with the hippocampus, parahippocampal cortex, and lingual and fusiform gyri. Thus, alpha and low-beta brain oscillatory activity in cingulate and striatal regions appear to contribute as hubs of information integration and transmission during early skill learning. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Early learning of challenging skill sequences develops over periods of rest interspersed with practice (micro-offline gains). We demonstrate here a link between alpha and low-beta oscillatory activity in a cingulate-hippocampo-striato network hubs and rest intervals of early learning.
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