Motivation upregulates the adaptive response in sensorimotor learning

Abstract

Motivational state plays a critical role in our ability to learn new motor skills; however, the mechanisms by which motivation influences motor learning are poorly understood. Using a motor learning paradigm in which motivation was varied in a trial-by-trial manner, we found that motivation affects learning by upregulating the rate of the adaptive response, increasing individuals speed of learning. This unveils previously unidentified evidence for a mechanism through which motivation shapes error-based motor learning.