Differential effects of motor skill acquisition on the primary motor and sensory cortices in healthy humans

We explored the large variability in motor skill acquisition‐related effects on the primary and sensory cortices. Namely, we tested whether this variability depends on interindividual variance or the type of motor task investigated. We compared different motor‐learning tasks, i.e. model‐free vs. model‐based learning tasks, and their possible differential effects on the primary motor and sensory cortices by using transcranial magnetic stimulation techniques. The model‐free learning task induced an increase in corticospinal excitability and a reduction in the amplitude of somatosensory‐evoked potentials. Conversely, the model‐based learning tasks induced a decrease in intracortical inhibition. No correlations were found between neurophysiological changes and motor performance, indicating that this differential modulation may be secondary to the motor skill acquisition. The study results suggest differential motor skill acquisition‐related effects on cortical parameters, possibly due to the engagement of specific neurophysiological substrates.

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