Procedural Learning and Retention in Older Subjects: The Contribution of Sensorimotor and Premotor Cortex.

Authors

Christopher E J Doppler, Linda Meyer, Ralph Weidner, Peter H Weiss, Gereon R Fink

Published in

Brain and behavior. Volume 16. Issue 10. Pages e71845.

Abstract

To investigate the neurobiological basis of procedural learning and retention of motor memories in aging.
We used a modified serial reaction time (SRT) task with feedback in two age groups: young (n = 18, 24.9 ± 3.9 years, range: 18-32 years) and older (n = 19, 63.5 ± 5.1 years, range: 54-73 years) healthy participants. We assessed procedural learning while participants underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI, Day 1). On the following day, we assessed retention behaviorally outside the scanner.
Both groups showed significant procedural learning (p < 0.001) and retention (p < 0.05). Notably, retention was enhanced in older compared to younger adults (p < 0.01), even after normalizing the reaction time (RT) gains to individual RT (p < 0.05). Functional imaging revealed more robust recruitment of the left sensorimotor cortex (SM1) during procedural learning in older participants. Besides, left premotor cortex activity during procedural learning predicted retention in both age groups.
Our data show that procedural learning was preserved in healthy older adults. At the same time, retention was even enhanced in healthy older adults. These processes were associated with activation changes in the contralateral sensorimotor and premotor cortices.

PMID:
42886636
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 17 Oct 2026.

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