Research

The effects of practice distribution upon the regional oscillatory activity in visuomotor learning

Bettina Studer^1,2 , Susan Koeneke¹ , Julia Blum^1,3 and Lutz Jäncke¹

¹  Department of Neuropsychology, Psychological Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland

²  Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK

³  Spinal Cord Injury Center, Balgrist University Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland

author email corresponding author email

Behavioral and Brain Functions 2010, 6:8doi:10.1186/1744-9081-6-8

Published:	22 January 2010

Abstract

Background

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a massed compared to a distributed practice upon visuomotor learning as well as upon the regional oscillatory activity in the sensorimotor cortex.

Methods

A continuous visuomotor tracking task was used to assess visuomotor learning; the underlying neuronal correlates were measured by means of EEG. The massed practice group completed a continuous training of 60 minutes, while the distributed practice group completed four 15 minutes practice blocks separated by rest intervals.

Results

While the massed and the distributed practice group did not differ in performance, effects of practice distribution were evident in the regional oscillatory activity. In the course of practice, the massed training group showed a higher task-related theta power and a strong task-related power decrease in the upper alpha frequency over the sensorimotor cortex compared to the distributed practice group.

Conclusions

These differences in the regional oscillatory activity indicate a higher cognitive effort and higher attention demands in the massed practice group. The results of this study support the hypothesis, that a distributed practice is superior to a massed practice in visuomotor learning.