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Learning from the physical consequences of our actions improves motor memory

View ORCID ProfileAmanda Bakkum, View ORCID ProfileDaniel S. Marigold
doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.10.07.463541
Amanda Bakkum
1Department of Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, British Columbia, V5A 1S6, Canada
2Department of Neuroscience, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
3Center for Movement Studies, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
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Daniel S. Marigold
1Department of Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, British Columbia, V5A 1S6, Canada
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  • For correspondence: daniel_marigold@sfu.ca
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ABSTRACT

Actions have consequences. Motor learning involves correcting actions that lead to movement errors and remembering these actions for future behavior. In most laboratory situations, movement errors have no physical consequences and simply indicate the progress of learning. Here we asked how experiencing a physical consequence when making a movement error affects motor learning. Two groups of participants adapted to a new, prism-induced mapping between visual input and motor output while performing a precision walking task. Importantly, one group experienced an unexpected slip perturbation when making foot-placement errors during adaptation. Because of our innate drive for safety, and the fact that balance is fundamental to movement, we hypothesized that this experience would enhance motor memory. Learning generalized to different walking tasks to a greater extent in the group who experienced the adverse physical consequence. This group also showed faster relearning one week later despite exposure to a competing mapping during initial learning—evidence of greater memory consolidation. The group differences in generalization and consolidation occurred even though they both experienced similar magnitude foot-placement errors and adapted at similar rates. Our results suggest the brain considers the potential physical consequences of movement error when learning and that balance-threatening consequences serve to enhance this process.

Competing Interest Statement

The authors have declared no competing interest.

Copyright 
The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under a CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license.
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Posted October 09, 2021.
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Learning from the physical consequences of our actions improves motor memory
Amanda Bakkum, Daniel S. Marigold
bioRxiv 2021.10.07.463541; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.10.07.463541
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Learning from the physical consequences of our actions improves motor memory
Amanda Bakkum, Daniel S. Marigold
bioRxiv 2021.10.07.463541; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.10.07.463541

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