Experiential changes in the cortical representation of movement

我们熟练的动作是由大脑通过激活我们身体肌肉的神经纤维束控制的。绘制出由特定大脑区域控制的身体的确切区域，就产生了所谓的运动图。在动物研究中生成运动地图的方法表明，地图的大小可以由许多因素改变，包括运动练习。例如，训练动物使用它们的前肢来完成一项熟练的伸手任务，会导致前肢运动地图的扩展。这种依赖于使用的重组被认为是由大脑内部的结构变化介导的，然而，我们仍然缺乏对地图变化在促进运动学习中所起作用的详细理解。在我们提出的实验中，我们将使用新的成像和脑刺激技术来研究训练诱导的运动地图增强。此外，我们将进行脑刺激与爪的感觉刺激配对，以诱导运动地图的扩张。我们的研究结果将决定增强大脑内运动地图的大小是否也能提高学习新技能动作的能力。

Our skilled movements are controlled by the brain through nerve fiber tracts that activate muscles in our body. Mapping out the exact region of the body that is controlled by specific brain regions produces what is known as a motor map. Methods to generate motor maps in animal studies have revealed that the size of the map can be changed by a number of factors including motor practice. For example, training animals to use their forelimb to carry out a skilled reaching task results in the expansion of the forelimb motor map. Such use-dependent reorganisation is thought to be mediated by structural changes within the brain, however we still lack a detailed understanding of the role that map changes play in facilitating motor learning. In our proposed experiments, we will use novel imaging and brain stimulation technology to study the training-induced enhancement of motor maps. In addition, we will perform brain stimulation paired with sensory stimulation of the paw to induce expansion of motor maps. Our results will determine whether enhancing motor map size within the brain also improves the ability to learn new skilled movements.