Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Motor Skill Learning

长期记忆负责永久性地积累或存储信息。特别是，它存储了可以回忆起如何进行包括运动技能在内的活动的内容。在记忆特定技能的过程中，比如写作、骑自行车或开车，都会有一个成绩快速增长的初始阶段，然后随着成绩达到渐近水平而缓慢增长。事实上，经过广泛的练习，这项技能就会变得自然而然或习以为常。这是一个重要的方面，因为它解放了我们的思想，让我们去做其他需要注意的事情。例如，当红绿灯从黄色变成红色时，停车。我的实验室感兴趣的是了解大脑的不同区域如何编码和协调运动技能优化所需的信息。因为老鼠也会发展运动技能，所以我们可以用它们作为一个快速而廉价的模型来研究在学习精确运动技能的过程中大脑中发生了什么。我们最近成功地发现了大脑分子，这些分子在小鼠学习了一种新的运动技能后，正在调整自己的活动。然而，这些分子是否负责保存运动技能所需的长期记忆尚不确定。NSERC的这项拨款建议调查这些新发现的分子是否在运动技能学习的记忆过程中发挥作用。此外，长期记忆功能的两个创造性方面，即表观遗传和突触形成，在另一种记忆类型认知中得到了强调。这种记忆指的是知识、注意力、判断、推理、解决问题、决策等。我们想要验证这两个方面是否也与运动技能学习相关的长期记忆有关。了解分子过程和适应行为之间的关系是神经科学研究的一个重要但艰巨的目标。我们的基础研究将建立这些分子元素相互作用、组织和功能的启发式模型，并将导致对它们在控制和学习运动行为以及一般的基底节神经生理学中的作用的全球看法。

The long-term memory is responsible for permanently accumulating or storing information. In particular, it stores what can be recalled about how to do activities that include motor skills. In the process of memorizing a specific skill, such as writing, riding a bike or driving a car, there is an initial stage of rapid increment in performance, which is followed by slow increment as performance reaches asymptotic levels. Indeed, after extensive practice the skill becomes automatic or habitual. This is an important facet because it frees our mind for other tasks that require attention. For example, stopping the car when traffic lights change from yellow to red. My laboratory is interested in understanding how different regions of the brain encode and harmonized the information necessary for motor skill optimization. Because mice also develop motor skills, we could use them as a fast and inexpensive model to study what is going on in the brain during the learning of a precise motor skill. We have recently been successful at discovering brain molecules that are adapting their activities following the learning of a new motor skill in mice. However, whether these molecules are responsible for the long-term memory requested to preserve a motor skill is uncertain. This NSERC grant proposes to investigate whether these newly discovered molecules play a role in the memory processes of motor skill learning. In addition, two creative aspects of long-term memory functions, namely the epigenetic and synaptogenesis, have been underscore in another memory type, the cognition. This memory refers to knowledge, attention, judgment, reasoning, problem solving, decision making, etc. We would like to verify whether these two aspects are also accountable for the long-term memory associated with motor skill learning. Understanding the relationship between molecular processes and adaptive behaviour is an important but daunting goal of neuroscience research. Our fundamental research will establish a heuristic model of these molecular elements interactions, organization and functions and will lead to a global view of their role in the control and learning of motor behaviours, and basal ganglia neurophysiology in general.