University of Queensland researchers have found that giving mice real-time sounds linked to their movements during a task helps them learn motor skills faster.
Dr Dongsheng Xiao in the Balbi lab at UQ’s Queensland Brain Institute explained that this finding paves the way for further studies to improve our understanding of motor skills learning.
“We have developed and tested a closed-loop system, leveraging advanced machine learning and real-time tracking, to track the animals’ forepaw movements and play different sounds based on how they moved,” Dr Xiao said.
“We found that the mice receiving continuous auditory feedback completed the task faster and showed more consistent movement patterns than those receiving no sounds.
Motor skills require control over our body to achieve a goal, like walking or using scissors. Learning these skills helps us interact with our environment.
Dr Matilde Balbi said the team studied the effects of using auditory cues with healthy adult mice, but the aim is to use the new system to test motor learning in stroke models.
“After stroke, many people must re-learn motor skills, such as how to hold a cup and raise it to their mouth to drink,” Dr Balbi said.
“If we understand the mechanisms of motor skill learning and can enhance them, we may be able to improve rehabilitation for people after a stroke.”
This research is published in eNeuro, an open access journal of the Society of Neuroscience.
