Investigation of sustained blood flow and metabolic changes in the healthy brain following motor learning
Motivation: Improve our understanding of the brain's metabolic response to motor learning in healthy adults. Goal(s): Investigate adaptations of energy metabolism following learning on a visuomotor task with simultaneous BOLD/ASL functional imaging. Approach: We acquired breath-hold calibrated functional MRI data before and after healthy subjects undertook motor learning on a visuomotor task to investigate potential changes of brain cerebral blood flow (CBF) and metabolic rate of oxygen (CMRO2) sustained after the end of the task. Results: We found significant differences in CBF and a trend towards changes in CMRO2 following completion of the task in brain areas involved in somatosensory integration and motor learning. Impact: These results provide a framework for investigating learning-related brain blood flow and metabolic changes that may sustain long-term plasticity relevant for mitigating neurological conditions.
Authors
- Federica Procida
- Maria Rita Carriero (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9197-5879)
- Francesca Graziano (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8754-6572)
- Eleonora Patitucci (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1843-7046)
- Stefano Censi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3661-7737)
- Antonio Maria Chiarelli (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5347-8417)
- Maria Giulia Tullo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2327-2063)
- Alessandra Caporale (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2182-8312)
- Valentina Tomassini (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7368-6280)
- Michael Germuska (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0580-4350)
- Emma Biondetti (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6727-0935)
- Richard G. Wise (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1700-2144)
- Davide Di Censo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6116-607X)
- Federica Tomaiuolo
- Sara Pomante
Publication Details
- Journal
- Proceedings on CD-ROM - International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. Scientific Meeting and Exhibition/Proceedings of the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, Scientific Meeting and Exhibition
- Published
- 2025-09-16
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.58530/2025/0202
- Primary Topic
- Heart Rate Variability and Autonomic Control
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00