Neural mechanisms underlying interlateral transfer of ballistic motor skill (2010-2012)

Practicing a task with one limb often results in performance improvements with the opposite, untrained limb. Here we aim to discover 1) the specific training components responsible for this interlateral transfer , 2) the brain mechanisms involved, and 3) whether the effect can enhance subsequent motor learning. Discovering the causes of interlateral transfer will advance our basic understanding of motor learning and memory, and reveal whether the effect might be exploited as a rehabilitation tool for movement disorders that chiefly affect one side of the body (e.g. after a stroke). The project focuses on fastest-possible movements, as the brain responses to these ballistic tasks may be especially relevant for rehabilitation.