TDCS of the Primary Motor Cortex: Learning the Absolute Dimension of a Complex Motor Task

Abstract

The primary motor cortex (M1) is one of the main cortical areas involved in motor learning. However, little is known about its differential role in the learning of the relative and absolute dimensions of motor skills. We investigated the role of M1 in the learning of the dimensions of a complex motor skill. Forty-eight participants practiced golf putting and were stimulated for 20 minutes with real or sham bihemispheric tDCS before acquisition. tDCS improved global performance from pre- to post-test. Only those with worse initial performance who were stimulated by tDCS showed a significant improvement in the skill’s absolute dimension. No effects of tDCS were found for the relative dimension. Our results suggest that M1 has a distinct participation in the learning of the absolute dimension of complex motor skills, and tDCS effects are influenced by the learner’s level of initial performance.

Keywords:

• transcranial direct current stimulation
• motor learning
• complexity
• flexibility
• adaptability

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Aline Vitoria Pereira de Oliveira and Nathálya G. H. M. Nogueira for drawing and designing our Figure 1.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This work was partially supported by the Brazilian National Council of Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq).