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

运动学习是我们学习新的运动技能的过程，或者提高以前学习的运动技能的质量，比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”的动作，这个动作在我们的记忆中得到加强；2)我们在动作中犯错误，并通过练习来纠正这些错误。错误可能是由我们自己在计划或执行一个动作时的错误引起的，也可能是由我们身体以外的外力引起的（例如，在刮风的日子练习，风会使你失去平衡）。一些研究人员认为，错误的来源（身体内部或外部）决定了我们如何学习运动技能。假设，如果源是内部的，适应性将推广到许多不同的情况，但如果源是外部的，我们只会在错误发生的环境中进行适应；然而，没有人直接验证过这一假设。我们也不知道我们的大脑是如何判断错误是内部的还是外部的。此外，运动误差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），那么适应性可能比错误几乎没有后果时更强。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，我们将操纵参与者对运动错误来源（内部或外部）和错误后果（例如，奖励，“惩罚”或没有后果）的认识。在练习平衡技能之后，我们将测试参与者在类似的平衡任务中的表现，看看他们的学习是如何概括的。我们期望，当参与者相信错误的来源是内部的（相对于外部的），当参与者因为自己的错误而受到“惩罚”（相对于奖励或没有任何后果）时，学习的泛化会更好。我们还将确定哪些实践和参与者特征会影响参与者对错误来源的信念，以及学习的泛化程度。我们预计，拥有外部控制点的人（相信事件超出自己的控制范围）比拥有内部控制点的人更有可能相信错误来自外部来源。我们也希望那些对自己的动作多加注意的人能够比那些不多加注意的人更好地确定错误的来源。这项工作将提高我们对如何在练习中利用错误来优化运动学习的认识。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技能或提高旧技能的人。值得注意的是，这项工作有可能揭示出，根据不同的人的个人特征，最佳练习策略可能会有所不同。

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.