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Neural correlates of adaptation to gradual and to sudden visuomotor distortions in humans

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Abstract

This study aimed at scrutinizing the neural correlates of sensorimotor adaptation. Subjects were exposed either to a gradually (group G) or to a suddenly introduced perturbation (group S) followed by a test of aftereffects. They were also exposed to a control condition equated for their movement errors during the adaptation condition. We registered subjects’ brain activity by functional magnetic resonance imaging. Behavioral data revealed no difference between aftereffects in G and S, while imaging data suggest different neural correlates. Direct comparison between groups showed more adaptation-related activation in left cingulate and inferior frontal as well as right caudate and temporal areas in S than in G. In contrast, no neural activity was related more to G than to S and no common activations were found for both groups. Within-group analyses further revealed right inferior parietal lobe, cerebellar and cingulate cortex activity in group S and activation of frontal lobe and left cerebellum in group G for a contrast between adaptation condition and baseline. Less brain activity was observed when controlled for movement errors: the contrast between adaptation and control condition yielded left occipital lobe activity in group S, and left posterior dentate nucleus and brainstem activity in group G. The present data confirm an involvement of the cerebellar cortex in error processing during sudden adaptation, since this activation was found for the contrast ‘adaptation–baseline’ but not for ‘adaptation–control.’ In addition, our data suggest an involvement of deep cerebellar nuclei in the adaptation to gradually introduced distortions.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by a scholarship of the German Sport University for female young scientists awarded to SW and by DFG Grant Bo 649/8 awarded to OB. Responsibility for contents rests with the authors. Thanks are due to Prof. Patrick Bedard and Markus Thürling for helpful discussions of the imaging data. Thanks also go to L. Geisen and H. Elles for software development and A. Brol and R. Pistor for assisting with data collection and processing.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Physiology and Anatomy, German Sport University, Cologne, Germany

    Susen Werner & Otmar Bock

  2. Institute of Movement and Neurosciences, German Sport University, Am Sportpark Müngersdorf 6, 50933, Cologne, Germany

    Susen Werner

  3. Department of Neurology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany

    Christoph F. Schorn & Dagmar Timmann

  4. Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Neuroradiology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany

    Nina Theysohn

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  1. Susen Werner
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  2. Christoph F. Schorn
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Correspondence to Susen Werner.

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Werner, S., Schorn, C.F., Bock, O. et al. Neural correlates of adaptation to gradual and to sudden visuomotor distortions in humans. Exp Brain Res 232, 1145–1156 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-014-3824-1

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