How does the central nervous system use errors to optimize motor learning?

中枢神经系统如何利用错误来优化运动学习？

• 批准号: RGPIN-2021-02882
• 负责人: Mansfield, Avril
• 金额: $ 2.04万
• 依托单位: University of Toronto
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2022-01-01 至 2023-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=762199
• 关键词: How; does; central; nervous; system

Motor learning is the process by which we learn new, or improve the quality of previously learned, motor skills, like those used in sports or physical activities. There are two ways that motor learning happens: 1) we practice the `correct' movement, and this movement gets reinforced in our memories, or 2) we make errors during the movement and learn to correct these errors with practice. Errors can be caused by our own mistakes in planning or executing a movement, or can be caused by external forces outside of our bodies (e.g., practicing on a windy day when the wind knocks you off balance). Some researchers think that the source of the error (internal or external to our bodies) determines how we learn the motor skill. Hypothetically, if the source is internal, adaptations will generalize to many different situations, but if the source is external, we will only adapt in the environment where the error occurred; however, no one has directly tested this hypothesis. We also do not know how our brains determine if the error is internal or external. Additionally, the consequences of the motor error might influence how we adapt; if the error threatens our safety (e.g., could lead to an injury) then the adaptations might be stronger than if the error has little consequence. This research will determine how our brains use error to learn motor skills. We will conduct several experiments where participants will learn a novel balance skill. In these experiments, we will manipulate participants' knowledge about the source of motor errors (internal or external) and the consequences of errors (e.g., reward, `punishment', or no consequence). After practicing the balance skill, we will test how well participants perform on a similar balance task to see how well their learning generalizes. We expect that generalization of learning will be better when participants believe the source of the errors is internal (versus external), and when participants are `punished' for their errors (versus rewarded or receive no consequence). We will also determine which practice and participant characteristics influence participants' beliefs about the sources of errors and how well learning generalizes. We expect that people with an external locus of control (believe that events are outside their control) will be more likely to believe that errors come from an external source than those with an internal locus of control. We also expect that people who pay a lot of attention to their movements will be better able to determine the source of errors than those who do not. This work will improve our knowledge of how to use errors during practice to optimize motor learning. The findings can be used to help people who are learning new, or improving old, motor skills in sports, occupational, or rehabilitation settings. Of note, this work has the potential to reveal that optimal practice strategies may differ for different people depending on their individual characteristics.

运动技能学习是我们学习新的运动技能或提高以前学习的运动技能的过程，如运动或体育活动中使用的运动技能。运动学习有两种方式：1）我们练习“正确”的运动，这个运动在我们的记忆中得到加强，或者2）我们在运动过程中犯了错误，并学会通过练习纠正这些错误。错误可能是由我们自己在计划或执行运动时的错误引起的，也可能是由我们身体外部的外力引起的（例如，当风把你吹得失去平衡时，在有风的日子里练习）。一些研究人员认为，错误的来源（我们身体内部或外部）决定了我们如何学习运动技能。假设，如果来源是内部的，适应将推广到许多不同的情况下，但如果来源是外部的，我们将只适应错误发生的环境;然而，没有人直接测试这个假设。我们也不知道我们的大脑如何确定错误是内部的还是外部的。此外，运动错误的后果可能会影响我们的适应方式;如果错误威胁到我们的安全（例如，可能导致伤害），那么这种适应可能比错误没有什么后果的情况下更强。这项研究将确定我们的大脑如何利用错误来学习运动技能。我们将进行几个实验，参与者将学习一种新的平衡技能。在这些实验中，我们将操纵参与者关于运动错误来源（内部或外部）和错误后果（例如，“惩罚”，“惩罚”，“不惩罚”。练习完平衡技巧后，我们将测试参与者在类似的平衡任务中的表现，看看他们的学习效果如何。我们预计，当参与者认为错误的来源是内部的（与外部），当参与者为他们的错误“惩罚”（与奖励或没有收到任何后果），学习的泛化将更好。我们还将确定哪些实践和参与者特征影响参与者对错误来源的信念以及学习的推广程度。我们预计，具有外部控制点的人（相信事件不在他们的控制范围内）比具有内部控制点的人更有可能相信错误来自外部来源。我们还希望，那些非常注意自己动作的人比那些不注意的人能更好地确定错误的来源。这项工作将提高我们的知识，如何在实践中使用错误，以优化运动学习。这些发现可以用来帮助那些在运动、职业或康复环境中学习新的或改善旧的运动技能的人。值得注意的是，这项工作有可能揭示，最佳实践策略可能会因不同的人而异，这取决于他们的个人特点。