Experiential changes in the cortical representation of movement

我们熟练的动作由大脑通过神经纤维束控制，神经纤维束激活我们身体的肌肉。绘制出由特定大脑区域控制的身体确切区域的地图，就会产生众所周知的运动图。在动物研究中生成运动地图的方法表明，地图的大小可以通过包括运动练习在内的许多因素来改变。例如，训练动物使用前肢执行熟练的伸展任务会导致前肢运动地图的扩展。这种依赖使用的重组被认为是由大脑内部的结构变化所调节的，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了解。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，我们将进行脑刺激和爪子的感觉刺激，以诱导运动地图的扩展。我们的结果将决定增加大脑中运动地图的大小是否也能提高学习新的熟练动作的能力。

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.