Motor Learning in Healthy Humans Is Associated to Gray Matter Changes: A Tensor-Based Morphometry Study

Abstract

We used tensor-based morphometry (TBM) to: 1) map gray matter (GM) volume changes associated with motor learning in young healthy individuals; 2) evaluate if GM changes persist three months after cessation of motor training; and 3) assess whether the use of different schemes of motor training during the learning phase could lead to volume modifications of specific GM structures. From 31 healthy subjects, motor functional assessment and brain 3D T1-weighted sequence were obtained: before motor training (time 0), at the end of training (two weeks) (time 2), and three months later (time 3). Fifteen subjects (group A) were trained with goal-directed motor sequences, and 16 (group B) with non purposeful motor actions of the right hand. At time 1 vs. time 0, the whole sample of subjects had GM volume increase in regions of the temporo-occipital lobes, inferior parietal lobule (IPL) and middle frontal gyrus, while at time 2 vs. time 1, an increased GM volume in the middle temporal gyrus was seen. At time 1 vs. time 0, compared to group B, group A had a GM volume increase of the hippocampi, while the opposite comparison showed greater GM volume increase in the IPL and insula in group B vs. group A. Motor learning results in structural GM changes of different brain areas which are part of specific neuronal networks and tend to persist after training is stopped. The scheme applied during the learning phase influences the pattern of such structural changes.

Gray matter alterations in visual cortex of patients with loss of central vision due to hereditary retinal dystrophies

“…Similarly, Bonilha et al (2009) showed a loss of gray matter in the right sensorimotor area of right-handed older adults that they attributed to atrophy as a consequence of disuse of the left hand. Filippi et al (2010) observed an increase in gray matter volume in several task related areas of the brain after learning goaldirected motor tasks. Draganski et al (2004) showed that training in juggling led to gray matter increase in the visual motion area V5 as well as in the intraparietal sulcus.…”

Multiple Sclerosis: Effects of Cognitive Rehabilitation on Structural and Functional MR Imaging Measures—An Explorative Study

“…Studies in healthy individuals have demonstrated increases in the volumes of selected cortical areas after cognitive (41) and motor learning (42). An increase in fractional anisotropy of selected WM regions has been shown in healthy individuals after 6 weeks of motor training (22).…”

Can we simulate an action that we temporarily cannot perform?

“…An extended amount of practice in sport (here, more than 10 years of intensive practice) may lead to more stable representations that are less subject to decay [23]. For example, an investigation by Filippi et al [30] provides some evidence that long-term structural changes were occurred within the inferior parietal lobule three months after ceasing extensive training of hand actions. However, additional experiments are needed to test whether motor expertise does indeed prevent such decay.…”