Indian Journal of Physiotherapy & Occupational Therapy-An International Journal

Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access
Open Access Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Restricted Access Subscription Access

A Study of Comparison of Implicit Learning in Post Stroke and Age-Matched Elderly Subjects


Affiliations
1 P.T. School and Center, Seth G.S. Medical College , KEMH, Mumbai, India
     

   Subscribe/Renew Journal


Background: A motor skill can be learnt implicitly without awareness of what is being learnt. There is inadequate evidence available whether adults with stroke can learn a motor skill implicitly. Aim: To examine the ability of adults who had unilateral stroke to learn implicitly a perceptual motor task and to compare them with age matched elderly subjects. Settings and Design: This was a prospective experimental study. 30 subjects with unilateral stroke were compared with 30 age -matched elderly subjects for speed of performance of a serial response time task(SRT).

Materials and method: Subjects were asked to perform sequences of hand movements in response to target lights in 2 conditions: a patterned sequence and a random sequence. They were not given explicit knowledge of 2 conditions. The SRT to perform both patterned and random sequence activity was measured and comparison was done between both groups. On second day SRT of patterned sequence activity was measured for both groups to test retention.

Results: The mean SRT for both groups showed statistically significant decrease with patterned sequence(mean difference-elderly:3.745, stroke:5.108) increase with random sequence (mean difference-elderly:2.792, stroke:3.592) and again decrease with reintroduction of patterned sequence(mean difference-elderly:1.762,stroke:2.423). There was statistically significant retention of implicit learning in both groups. Conclusion: Implicit Learning of Serial Response Time Task is preserved in post Stroke subjects since both the groups showed the similar trend of performance in all the blocks, however, speed of performance of post stroke subjects was slower than that of normal elderly subjects.


Keywords

Implicit Learning, Serial Response Time Task, Patterned Sequence, Random Sequence, Retention
Subscription Login to verify subscription
User
Notifications
Font Size


  • Anne Shumway-Cook, Majorie Woolacott “Motor Control-Translating research into clinical practice” part two –Postural Control,2007:21-43.

  • Squire, Larry R. 1987. Memory and the Brain. New York: Oxford University Press.

  • Nissen MJ, Bullemer P. Attentional requirements of learning: evidence from performance measures. Cogn Psychol.1987; 19:1–32.

  • Boyd LA, Winstein CJ. Impact of explicit information on implicit motor-sequence learning following middle cerebral artery stroke. Phys Ther. 2003;83:976–989.

  • Honda M, Deiber M-P, Ibanez V, et al. Dynamic cortical involvement in implicit and explicit motor sequence learning: a PET study. Brain.1998; 121:2159–2173.

  • Willingham DB, Goedert-Eschmann K. The relation between implicit and explicit learning: evidence for parallel development. Psychol Sci.1999; 10:531–534

  • Lee Y, Vakoch DA. Transfer and retention of implicit and explicit learning. Br J Psychol. 1996; 87:637–651

  • Pohl PS, Winstein CJ. Practice effects on the lessaffected upper extremity after stroke. Arch Phys Med Rehabil.1999; 80:668–675.

  • Winstein CJ, Grafton ST, Pohl PS. Motor task difficulty and brain activity: investigation of goaldirected reciprocal aiming using positron emission tomography.J Neurophysiol.1997; 77:1581–1594.

  • Catalan MJ, Honda M, Weeks RA, Cohen LG, Hallett M. The functional neuroanatomy of simple and complex sequential finger movements: A PET study. Brain. 1998; 121: 253–264.

  • Verstynen T, Diedrichsen J, Albert N, Aparicio P, Ivry RB. Ipsilateral motor cortex activity during unimanual hand movements relates to task complexity. J Neurophysiol. 2005; 93: 1209–1222.

  • Wisneski KJ, Anderson N, Schalk G, Smyth M, Moran D, Leuthardt EC .Unique cortical physiology associated with ipsilateral hand movements and neuroprosthetic implications. Stroke 2008; 39:3351–3359

  • Hermsdofer J, Ulrich S, Marquardt C, et al. Prehension with ipsilesional hand after unilateral brain damage. Cortex. 1999;35:139-162.

  • Winstein C, Pohl P. Effects of unilateral brain damage on the control of goal-directed hand movements. Exp Brain Res. 1995;105:163-174

  • Winstein C, Grafton S, Pohl P.Motor task difficulty and brain activity:investigation of goal directed reciprocal aiming using positron emission tomography. J Neurophysiol. 1997;77:1581-1594.

  • Caroline J. Ketcham, Tiffany M. Rodriguez and Kirk A. Zihlman. Targeted Aiming Movements Are Compromised in Nonaffected Limb of Persons With Stroke Neurorehabil Neural Repair 2007.


Abstract Views: 439

PDF Views: 0




  • A Study of Comparison of Implicit Learning in Post Stroke and Age-Matched Elderly Subjects

Abstract Views: 439  |  PDF Views: 0

Authors

Jigna Tanna
P.T. School and Center, Seth G.S. Medical College , KEMH, Mumbai, India
R. Lakshmi Prabha
P.T. School and Center, Seth G.S. Medical College , KEMH, Mumbai, India
Saraswati Iyer
P.T. School and Center, Seth G.S. Medical College , KEMH, Mumbai, India
Ajit Harale
P.T. School and Center, Seth G.S. Medical College , KEMH, Mumbai, India
Amita Mehta
P.T. School and Center, Seth G.S. Medical College , KEMH, Mumbai, India

Abstract


Background: A motor skill can be learnt implicitly without awareness of what is being learnt. There is inadequate evidence available whether adults with stroke can learn a motor skill implicitly. Aim: To examine the ability of adults who had unilateral stroke to learn implicitly a perceptual motor task and to compare them with age matched elderly subjects. Settings and Design: This was a prospective experimental study. 30 subjects with unilateral stroke were compared with 30 age -matched elderly subjects for speed of performance of a serial response time task(SRT).

Materials and method: Subjects were asked to perform sequences of hand movements in response to target lights in 2 conditions: a patterned sequence and a random sequence. They were not given explicit knowledge of 2 conditions. The SRT to perform both patterned and random sequence activity was measured and comparison was done between both groups. On second day SRT of patterned sequence activity was measured for both groups to test retention.

Results: The mean SRT for both groups showed statistically significant decrease with patterned sequence(mean difference-elderly:3.745, stroke:5.108) increase with random sequence (mean difference-elderly:2.792, stroke:3.592) and again decrease with reintroduction of patterned sequence(mean difference-elderly:1.762,stroke:2.423). There was statistically significant retention of implicit learning in both groups. Conclusion: Implicit Learning of Serial Response Time Task is preserved in post Stroke subjects since both the groups showed the similar trend of performance in all the blocks, however, speed of performance of post stroke subjects was slower than that of normal elderly subjects.


Keywords


Implicit Learning, Serial Response Time Task, Patterned Sequence, Random Sequence, Retention

References