Modulating the Structure of Motor Variability for Skill Learning Through Specific Muscle Synergies in Elderlies and Young Adults
Objective: Motor variability - performance variations across task repetitions - has been assumed to be undesirable. But recent studies argue that variability facilitates early motor learning by allowing exploratory search of reward-generating motion, and that variability's structure may be modu...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IEEE
2020-01-01
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| Series: | IEEE Open Journal of Engineering in Medicine and Biology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/8949472/ |
| _version_ | 1818619830161375232 |
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| author | Vincent C. K. Cheung Xiao-Chang Zheng Roy T. H. Cheung Rosa H. M. Chan |
| author_facet | Vincent C. K. Cheung Xiao-Chang Zheng Roy T. H. Cheung Rosa H. M. Chan |
| author_sort | Vincent C. K. Cheung |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objective: Motor variability - performance variations across task repetitions - has been assumed to be undesirable. But recent studies argue that variability facilitates early motor learning by allowing exploratory search of reward-generating motion, and that variability's structure may be modulated by neural circuits for furthering learning. What are the neural sources of learning-relevant motor variability and its modulation in humans of different ages? Methods: Elderlies and young adults played a 3-session virtual bowling while multi-muscle electromyographic signals were collected. We quantified trial-to-trial variability of muscle synergies - neuromotor control modules - and of their activations. Results: In elderlies, bowling-score gain correlated with change of activation timing variability of specific synergies, but in young adults, with variability changes of synergy-activation magnitude, and of the synergies themselves. Conclusions: Variability modulation of specific muscle synergies and their activations contribute to early motor learning. Elderly and young individuals may rely on different aspects of motor variability to drive learning. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-16T17:43:43Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f56e3024675b4a3da470156ce1cebdc7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2644-1276 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-16T17:43:43Z |
| publishDate | 2020-01-01 |
| publisher | IEEE |
| record_format | Article |
| series | IEEE Open Journal of Engineering in Medicine and Biology |
| spelling | doaj.art-f56e3024675b4a3da470156ce1cebdc72022-12-21T22:22:31ZengIEEEIEEE Open Journal of Engineering in Medicine and Biology2644-12762020-01-011334010.1109/OJEMB.2019.29636668949472Modulating the Structure of Motor Variability for Skill Learning Through Specific Muscle Synergies in Elderlies and Young AdultsVincent C. K. Cheung0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6031-7320Xiao-Chang Zheng1Roy T. H. Cheung2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0288-7755Rosa H. M. Chan3https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4808-2490School of Biomedical Sciences and Gerald Choa Neuroscience Centre, and the KIZ-CUHK Joint Laboratory of Bioresources and Molecular Research of Common Diseases, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, ChinaSchool of Biomedical Sciences and Gerald Choa Neuroscience Centre, and the KIZ-CUHK Joint Laboratory of Bioresources and Molecular Research of Common Diseases, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, ChinaDepartment of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, ChinaDepartment of Electrical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, ChinaObjective: Motor variability - performance variations across task repetitions - has been assumed to be undesirable. But recent studies argue that variability facilitates early motor learning by allowing exploratory search of reward-generating motion, and that variability's structure may be modulated by neural circuits for furthering learning. What are the neural sources of learning-relevant motor variability and its modulation in humans of different ages? Methods: Elderlies and young adults played a 3-session virtual bowling while multi-muscle electromyographic signals were collected. We quantified trial-to-trial variability of muscle synergies - neuromotor control modules - and of their activations. Results: In elderlies, bowling-score gain correlated with change of activation timing variability of specific synergies, but in young adults, with variability changes of synergy-activation magnitude, and of the synergies themselves. Conclusions: Variability modulation of specific muscle synergies and their activations contribute to early motor learning. Elderly and young individuals may rely on different aspects of motor variability to drive learning.https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/8949472/AgeingEMGMotor LearningMotor VariabilityMuscle Synergy |
| spellingShingle | Vincent C. K. Cheung Xiao-Chang Zheng Roy T. H. Cheung Rosa H. M. Chan Modulating the Structure of Motor Variability for Skill Learning Through Specific Muscle Synergies in Elderlies and Young Adults IEEE Open Journal of Engineering in Medicine and Biology Ageing EMG Motor Learning Motor Variability Muscle Synergy |
| title | Modulating the Structure of Motor Variability for Skill Learning Through Specific Muscle Synergies in Elderlies and Young Adults |
| title_full | Modulating the Structure of Motor Variability for Skill Learning Through Specific Muscle Synergies in Elderlies and Young Adults |
| title_fullStr | Modulating the Structure of Motor Variability for Skill Learning Through Specific Muscle Synergies in Elderlies and Young Adults |
| title_full_unstemmed | Modulating the Structure of Motor Variability for Skill Learning Through Specific Muscle Synergies in Elderlies and Young Adults |
| title_short | Modulating the Structure of Motor Variability for Skill Learning Through Specific Muscle Synergies in Elderlies and Young Adults |
| title_sort | modulating the structure of motor variability for skill learning through specific muscle synergies in elderlies and young adults |
| topic | Ageing EMG Motor Learning Motor Variability Muscle Synergy |
| url | https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/8949472/ |
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