Using Group Independent Component Analysis to Investigate Resting-State Functional Networks Underlying Motor Sequence Learning

摘要

Learning performance can be improved by practicing tasks with higher difficulty, a phenomenon known as the contextual interference (CI) effect. In this study, we investigated changes in the baseline functional connectivity of the brain when the participants practiced the serial reaction-time (SRT) task arranged respectively in an interleaved (higher CI) and a repetitive (lower CI) order. The resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data was analyzed using the group independent component analysis (ICA) to identify functionally homogeneous brain regions. These regions served as the nodes of the resting-state networks (RSNs) of the brain. Seven RSNs crucial for motor learning were identified, including the basal ganglia, sensorimotor, visual, auditory, visual, attentional, and the default-mode networks. We further found that the interleaved practice led to stronger functional connectivity than the repetitive practice within the default-mode network, particularly between the posterior cingulate and visual cortices, which are key regions for memory and visuospatial integration respectively. Our findings indicate that practice with higher difficulty enhances the baseline connectivity within the functional circuits of the brain, providing a neural basis for the benefits of higher CI practice on motor learning.