Whole-brain dynamics of human sensorimotor adaptation

Humans vary greatly in their motor learning abilities, yet little is known about the neural processes that underlie this variability. We identified distinct profiles of human sensorimotor adaptation that emerged across 2 days of learning, linking these profiles to the dynamics of whole-brain functional networks early on the first day when cognitive strategies toward sensorimotor adaptation are believed to be most prominent. During early learning, greater recruitment of a network of higher-order brain regions, involving prefrontal and anterior temporal cortex, was associated with faster learning. At the same time, greater integration of this cognitive network with a sensorimotor network was associated with slower learning, consistent with the notion that cognitive strategies toward adaptation operate in parallel with implicit learning processes of the sensorimotor system. On the second day, greater recruitment of a network that included the hippocampus was associated with faster learning, consistent with the notion that declarative memory systems are involved with fast relearning of sensorimotor mappings. Together, these findings provide novel evidence for the role of higher-order brain systems in driving variability in adaptation.

Automated summary

This study identifies distinct profiles of human sensorimotor adaptation and their relation to the dynamics of whole-brain functional networks. It suggests that greater recruitment of higher-order brain regions is associated with faster learning during early stages, while greater integration of the cognitive network with the sensorimotor network is related to slower learning. On the second day, greater recruitment of a network that includes the hippocampus is associated with faster learning, indicating the involvement of declarative memory systems.