Action-based learning in sensorimotor systems
Abstract:
The nervous system of any living animal must gradually learn the various functions of the body and the environment through experience. This is thought to be achieved through a principle of action-based learning where motor output generated by the subject gives rise to patterns of sensory feedback that subsequently control learning. In this presentation, experimental data revealing the mechanisms underlying this type of action-based learning in simple sensorimotor circuits of the spinal cord is presented. Based on the knowledge gained from these studies, it is proposed that similar mechanisms are responsible for the functional adaptation of a wide range of sensorimotor circuits, and underlies the development and refinement of complex integrated motor systems such as those controlling advanced goal-directed behaviors.