Speed of motor skill acquisition revealed by neural oscillatory activity

A research team consisting of Kazumasa Uehara, Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at Toyohashi University of Technology, and Yuya Fukuda, a pre-doctoral candidate in the same department, demonstrated that scalp electroencephalogram (EEG) power modulation of 4–8 Hz theta oscillation, known as frontal midline theta (FMT), observed in the medial frontal cortex just before initiating a movement is likely a key neural indicator explaining individual differences in the speed of motor skill acquisition. Analysis of scalp EEG data during a motor learning task integrating vision and motor action revealed that subjects who learned more quickly exhibited higher FMT power just before movement onset. These findings would contribute to the future development of personalized learning support and training methods based on EEG. Such methods could be applied in physical education fields such as rehabilitation and sports training, which require motor learning, as well as in enhancing musical instrument performance skills. The results of this research were published online in Experimental Brain Research on May 15, 2025.

 Humans have the ability to flexibly adapt to diverse environmental changes and acquire new motor skills through learning. The speed at which these skills are acquired varies from person to person.Previous studies have reported that EEG theta oscillation in the 4–8 Hz range, known as FMT, observed in the medial frontal cortex before movement onset, increase in power with learning. However, the extent to which FMT power modulation accounts for individual differences in motor learning proficiency rate has remained unclear.

 This study aimed to clarify the neural mechanisms underlying individual differences in motor learning proficiency rate by measuring EEG during a visual tracking motor learning task and conducting further analyses. Participants were instructed to follow a target on a computer screen using a cursor (Figure 1, left). The cursor was controlled by vertically pressing two force sensors, with sensor sensitivity partially altered between sessions. This setup required participants to learn the movement in each session, enabling a quantitative evaluation of the time needed to master a new motor skill (i.e., learning proficiency rate) for each individual.

 Scalp EEG data recorded during the task were analysed, with a specific focus on the modulation of FMT power prior to movement onset. A neural correlation analysis was also conducted using learning speed indicators. Participants who exhibited greater modulation of FMT power immediately before movement onset adapted more quickly to the new movement pattern. A significant positive correlation was found between FMT power and learning proficiency rate (Figure 1, right). These findings suggest that increased neural activity in the medial frontal cortex during the preparatory phase prior to movement onset may contribute to more efficient motor learning.

 This study demonstrated that FMT power modulation immediately prior to movement onset is significantly correlated with the speed of acquiring a new motor skill. This finding suggests that FMT power may serve as a neural indicator of learning efficiency. Future research will aim to investigate the causal relationship underlying this correlation by employing methods such as neurofeedback and transcranial magnetic stimulation, which can intentionally modulate FMT activity, to further elucidate the underlying mechanisms.

 This study was supported by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology's Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (JP19K20103, Uehara) and the Daiko Foundation (Uehara).