Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Motor Skill Learning

长时记忆负责永久地积累或存储信息。特别是，它储存了可以回忆的关于如何做包括运动技能的活动的信息。在记忆一项特定技能的过程中，如写作、骑自行车或驾驶汽车，在性能上有一个快速增长的初始阶段，随后随着性能达到渐近水平而缓慢增长。事实上，经过大量的练习，这项技能会变成自动的或习惯性的。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力的任务。例如，当交通灯由黄变红时停车。我的实验室对了解大脑的不同区域如何编码和协调运动技能优化所必需的信息很感兴趣。因为老鼠也发展运动技能，我们可以用它们作为一个快速和廉价的模型来研究大脑在学习一种精确的运动技能时发生了什么。我们最近成功地发现，老鼠在学习一种新的运动技能后，大脑分子会改变它们的活动。然而，这些分子是否与保持运动技能所需的长期记忆有关尚不确定。这项NSERC拨款旨在研究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，即表观遗传和突触发生，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。理解分子过程和适应性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件的相互作用，组织和功能的启发式模型，并将导致它们在运动行为的控制和学习以及基底神经节神经生理学中的作用的全局视图。

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.