[Source: Science Daily]

The findings, published in the peer-reviewed journal eNeuro, provide insight into the neural mechanisms of motor skill learning that can help lead to more effective brain-stimulation therapies for patients experiencing motor disability after a stroke.

“One of the main complaints from stroke patients is that they cannot complete the grasping action,” said Tanuj Gulati, PhD, assistant professor of Neurology and Biomedical Sciences’ Center for Neural Science and Medicine at Cedars-Sinai and senior and corresponding author of the study. “Many patients may be able to reach for the target they want with some recovery, but they are not able to grasp it accurately. So, we are looking to understand how the brain generates movement and learns new dexterous/fine motor skills so we can potentially develop novel treatment strategies to repair these disabilities.”

To better understand changes in the brain during the course of motor learning, investigators looked at brain physiological activity in the motor cortex and the cerebellum in rats as they practiced a skilled reaching task.

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