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Conjugate limb coordination after experience with an interlimb yoke: Evidence for motor learning in the rat fetus
Author(s) -
Robinson Scott R.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
developmental psychobiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.055
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1098-2302
pISSN - 0012-1630
DOI - 10.1002/dev.20103
Subject(s) - yoke (aeronautics) , psychology , fetus , motor learning , conjugate , anatomy , motor behavior , physical medicine and rehabilitation , neuroscience , developmental psychology , medicine , pregnancy , biology , computer science , simulation , genetics , fly by wire , flight simulator , mathematical analysis , mathematics
This study investigated the capacity of the E20 rat fetus to adaptively alter patterns of interlimb coordination in a prenatal model of motor learning. Fetal limb movement was manipulated with an interlimb yoke, consisting of a fine thread attached at the ankles, which created a physical linkage between two limbs. Exposure to the yoke resulted in a gradual increase in conjugate movements of the yoked limbs during a 30‐min training period, which persisted after removal of the yoke. Training effects were evident when the yoke was applied to two hindlimbs, two forelimbs, or a homolateral forelimb–hindlimb pair. A savings in the rate of acquisition also was observed when fetuses experienced yoke training in a second session. These data argue that the rat fetus can respond to kinesthetic feedback resulting from variation in motor performance, which suggests that experience contributes to the development of coordinated motor behavior before birth. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 47: 328–344, 2005.