FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·November 18, 2024·5 min readBody Image Impacts Motor Skill LearningSelf-consciousness about one’s body affects the ability to learn and perform movement tasks, according to new research. Participants recalling body-related embarrassment performed worse on motor tasks compared to those recalling pride, with the negative impact being stronger in men than women.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·November 13, 2024·6 min readAdults Learn Skills Faster, but Kids Retain Them Better With SleepContrary to common beliefs, adults can learn new motor skills faster than children, but children retain these skills better due to more effective sleep-driven memory consolidation. In a recent study, adults showed faster skill acquisition, while children demonstrated superior retention after sleep.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·October 14, 2024·6 min readCerebellum Plays Crucial Role in Skill Retention and MemoryNew research uncovers that the cerebellum is critical for long-term motor skill memory formation, distinguishing it from short-term memory systems. Patients with cerebellar damage showed normal performance on motor tasks over short intervals but were impaired with longer gaps, linking the cerebellum directly to long-term sensorimotor memory. These findings resolve inconsistencies in prior studies and highlight the importance of time intervals in understanding motor memory degradation in cerebellar degeneration.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·July 18, 2024·4 min readBrain Structure Differences Explain Faster Learning of Motor SkillsA new study reveals that quick learners of motor skills have distinct brain activity patterns. Using brain-monitoring electrodes, they found that visual processing plays a crucial role in learning new movements.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience Articles·February 13, 2023·4 min readChanges in the Brain Responsible for Motor Skill LearningAs rat models became proficient at learning new motor skills, they developed synchronous low-frequency oscillatory activity in two brain areas that were recorded that emerged across the cerebellum and motor cortex networks with skill consolidation.Read More
AutismFeaturedNeuroscience·December 10, 2022·6 min readPop’Balloons: The First Serious Mixed-Reality Game for Autistic ChildrenResearchers have developed a new mixed reality game that can help children on the autism spectrum to develop better motor skills.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience Articles·July 20, 2022·5 min readBrain Stimulation Improves Motor Skill Learning at Older AgeAnodal transcranial direct current stimulation applied to the motor cortex can help improve age-related impairments in learning new motor skills.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience Articles·November 19, 2021·4 min readScientists Key In on Brain’s Mechanism for Singing and LearningSpecialized brain cells associated with the neural process of learning in songbirds bear a striking resemblance to neurons associated with the development of fine motor control in humans.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·November 13, 2021·5 min readTool Use and Language Skills Are Linked in the Brain: Practicing One Improves the OtherFine motor skills utilized by using tools engage parts of the brain similar to those mobilized when we think about the construction of a sentence, researchers report.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·October 18, 2021·3 min readReactivating Memories During Sleep Improves Motor SkillsPerformance of newly acquired motor skills can be improved by reactivating memories during sleep, a new study finds.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscienceNeuroscience VideosOpen Neuroscience Articles·November 27, 2020·5 min readReal-World Neuroscience Experiments Show Diversity in Learning New Motor SkillsResearchers found the whole body changes as we learn new movement-based skills.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·July 24, 2020·2 min readBig Brains and Dexterous HandsPrimates with larger brains can solve much more complex tasks using their hands than smaller-brained primates. However, improved dexterity comes at a cost. In humans and other large-brained primates, it takes longer for infants to learn the simplest hand and finger movements than our smaller-brained counterparts.Read More
