Sensory-motor substrates of executive influence over skilled performance and learning

执行力对技能表现和学习的影响的感觉运动基础

• 批准号: RGPIN-2020-04255
• 负责人: Meehan, Sean
• 金额: $ 2.04万
• 依托单位: University of Waterloo
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2021-01-01 至 2022-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=739766
• 关键词: Sensory; motor; substrates; executive; influence

Skilled behaviour is dependent upon the ability to extract and integrate sensory information into accurate movement commands. Declarative knowledge (i.e. facts and semantics) about a skill guides executive functions to select relevant sensory cues and the appropriate behaviour based upon past experience that will achieve the desired outcome. In contrast, procedural memories provide the sequential steps to achieve the desired behaviour. Although declarative and procedural processes are traditionally prescribed to distinct areas of the brain, procedural processes supporting skilled behaviours often appear to be subject to executive control. Increasing executive control can be beneficial when a well-learned skill needs to be rapidly modified (e.g. consciously interrupting typical procedure to increase muscle rigidity when walking on ice). In contrast, drawing on executive functions to support learning of skilled behaviours can slow the rate of improvement and lead to a failure to perform a well-practiced behaviour to the level expected (i.e. "choking" in athletics). However, the exact mechanisms by which executive processes shape more sub-conscious, automated procedural motor processes and the consequences for beneficial brain reorganization in support of learning (known as "neural plasticity") are unknown. Such knowledge is critical to predicting when executive control will be beneficial or detrimental to skilled behaviour and to maximizing the brain's ability to acquire new skilled behaviours. As executive functions are assigned based upon explicit strategies, one possibility is that executive functions, such as working memory, may affect procedural motor control by adjusting the afferent information allowed to flow into and be manipulated by procedural motor areas. Our recent and ongoing work uses a non-invasive method, called short-latency afferent inhibition (SAI), to identify specific populations or circuits of neurons in procedural motor areas that are sensitive to executive functioning. The current Discovery Grant will address: 1) the specific contributions of these sensory-motor brain circuits to skilled behaviour, 2) the sources and control of the information flowing into these circuits and 3) how these sensory motor circuits interact with other circuits of neurons that also play a role in governing skilled behaviour. The specific experiments proposed within each of these themes will enhance our fundamental understanding of somatosensory-motor integration at the cortical level and the role this plays in the performance and acquisition of skilled behaviour. Such knowledge is critical to continued work aimed at refining models of motor control and learning and maximize translations to practical application.

熟练的行为取决于提取感官信息并将其整合到准确的运动命令中的能力。关于一项技能的陈述性知识(即事实和语义)指导执行功能选择相关的感官线索和基于过去经验的适当行为，以实现预期的结果。相比之下，程序性记忆提供了实现所需行为的顺序步骤。尽管陈述性和程序性过程传统上被规定在大脑的不同区域，但支持熟练行为的程序性过程似乎往往受到执行控制。当需要快速改变一项学得很好的技能时，加强执行控制可能是有益的(例如，当在冰上行走时，有意识地打断典型的程序以增加肌肉僵硬)。相比之下，利用行政职能来支持熟练行为的学习可能会减缓改进的速度，并导致无法将经过充分练习的行为表现到预期的水平(即在田径运动中“窒息”)。然而，执行过程塑造更多潜意识的、自动化的程序性运动过程的确切机制，以及为支持学习而进行有益的大脑重组的结果(称为“神经可塑性”)尚不清楚。这些知识对于预测执行控制何时对熟练行为有利或有害，以及最大限度地提高大脑获取新熟练行为的能力至关重要。由于执行功能是基于明确的策略分配的，一种可能性是，执行功能，如工作记忆，可能会通过调节允许流入程序运动区并被程序运动区操纵的传入信息来影响程序运动控制。我们最近和正在进行的工作使用了一种名为短潜伏期传入抑制(SAI)的非侵入性方法，以识别程序运动区中对执行功能敏感的特定神经元群体或电路。目前的发现拨款将涉及：1)这些感觉-运动脑回路对熟练行为的具体贡献，2)流入这些回路的信息的来源和控制，以及3)这些感觉-运动回路如何与其他神经元回路相互作用，后者也在控制熟练行为方面发挥作用。在每个主题中提出的具体实验将加强我们对大脑皮层体感-运动整合的基本理解，以及这在熟练行为的表现和获得中所起的作用。这些知识对于旨在完善运动控制和学习模型并最大限度地将其转化为实际应用的持续工作至关重要。