Ventrointermediate thalamic stimulation improves motor learning in humans

Ventrointermediate thalamic stimulation (VIM-DBS) modulates oscillatory activity in a cortical network including primary motor cortex, premotor cortex, and parietal cortex. Here we show that, beyond the beneficial effects of VIM-DBS on motor execution, this form of invasive stimulation facilitates production of sequential finger movements that follow a repeated sequence. These results highlight the role of thalamo–cortical activity in motor learning.Behavioral data (mean normalized learning score), for each participant over time, depending on condition (DBS-ON, DBS-OFF). Power Block 4, Power contrast over time, and regression.All datasets contain grand-average event-related spectral perturbation data for DBS-ON and DBS-OFF, the grand-average difference (DBS-OFF minus DBS-ON), and cluster-based permutation test results. Tests and datasets for all trials Block 4, Block 4 learned, Block 4 random, contrast Block 4 minus Block 1 learned, contrast Block 4 minus Block 1 random.