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Differential corticostriatal plasticity during fast and slow motor skill learning in mice.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Costa, RM; Cohen, D; Nicolelis, MAL
Published in: Curr Biol
July 13, 2004

BACKGROUND: Motor skill learning usually comprises "fast" improvement in performance within the initial training session and "slow" improvement that develops across sessions. Previous studies have revealed changes in activity and connectivity in motor cortex and striatum during motor skill learning. However, the nature and dynamics of the plastic changes in each of these brain structures during the different phases of motor learning remain unclear. RESULTS: By using multielectrode arrays, we recorded the simultaneous activity of neuronal ensembles in motor cortex and dorsal striatum of mice during the different phases of skill learning on an accelerating rotarod. Mice exhibited fast improvement in the task during the initial session and also slow improvement across days. Throughout training, a high percentage of striatal (57%) and motor cortex (55%) neurons were task related; i.e., changed their firing rate while mice were running on the rotarod. Improvement in performance was accompanied by substantial plastic changes in both striatum and motor cortex. We observed parallel recruitment of task-related neurons in both structures specifically during the first session. Conversely, during slow learning across sessions we observed differential refinement of the firing patterns in each structure. At the neuronal ensemble level, we observed considerable changes in activity within the first session that became less evident during subsequent sessions. CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate that cortical and striatal circuits exhibit remarkable but dissociable plasticity during fast and slow motor skill learning and suggest that distinct neural processes mediate the different phases of motor skill learning.

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Published In

Curr Biol

DOI

ISSN

0960-9822

Publication Date

July 13, 2004

Volume

14

Issue

13

Start / End Page

1124 / 1134

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • Time Factors
  • Running
  • Psychomotor Performance
  • Neurons
  • Neuronal Plasticity
  • Motor Skills
  • Motor Cortex
  • Microelectrodes
  • Mice
  • Learning
 

Citation

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Costa, R. M., Cohen, D., & Nicolelis, M. A. L. (2004). Differential corticostriatal plasticity during fast and slow motor skill learning in mice. Curr Biol, 14(13), 1124–1134. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2004.06.053
Costa, Rui M., Dana Cohen, and Miguel A. L. Nicolelis. “Differential corticostriatal plasticity during fast and slow motor skill learning in mice.Curr Biol 14, no. 13 (July 13, 2004): 1124–34. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2004.06.053.
Costa RM, Cohen D, Nicolelis MAL. Differential corticostriatal plasticity during fast and slow motor skill learning in mice. Curr Biol. 2004 Jul 13;14(13):1124–34.
Costa, Rui M., et al. “Differential corticostriatal plasticity during fast and slow motor skill learning in mice.Curr Biol, vol. 14, no. 13, July 2004, pp. 1124–34. Pubmed, doi:10.1016/j.cub.2004.06.053.
Costa RM, Cohen D, Nicolelis MAL. Differential corticostriatal plasticity during fast and slow motor skill learning in mice. Curr Biol. 2004 Jul 13;14(13):1124–1134.
Journal cover image

Published In

Curr Biol

DOI

ISSN

0960-9822

Publication Date

July 13, 2004

Volume

14

Issue

13

Start / End Page

1124 / 1134

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • Time Factors
  • Running
  • Psychomotor Performance
  • Neurons
  • Neuronal Plasticity
  • Motor Skills
  • Motor Cortex
  • Microelectrodes
  • Mice
  • Learning