The adult brain is not static but continuously experiences plastic changes in its structure and/or function. In particular motor learning allows to acquire new skills such as the ability to manipulate tools accurately, hit a target or drive a car implicitly. Abundant experimental evidence suggests that learning motor skills involving aiming and/or hitting visual targets (with a joystick or other tool) activates motor areas (M1, PPC, CB). It also generates long term memories that consolidate both during the day and during the night. The last decade has seen remarkable progress in the identification of the neural signatures of sleep-dependent consolidation for declarative memories and it is commonly suggested that the precise interaction between slow oscillations (SO) and sleep spindles is important for the nocturnal consolidation of these memories. My work is focused in examine whether this coupling and/or other brain oscillations are also relevant for the consolidation of long-term motor memories.
Phd Student
University of Buenos Aires
Bioengineering, 2015
National University of Entre Rios (AR)