Motor cortex gene expression during learning of a motor skill

The learning of motor skills requires plastic changes in motor regions of the brain including motor cortex. Motor learning can therefore be regarded as a model system for investigating cortical plasticity. It is known that consolidation of a motor skill requires protein synthesis in motor cortex that happens after the training (Luft et al. J Neurosci 2004, 24:6515). To elucidate which proteins are being synthesized, microarray genechips (Affymetrix, High Wycombe, UK) were used to screen for up- or downregulated genes at three different time points after a 30-min training session (1h, 7h, 24h) of a skilled foreli…