Abstract
This study’s aim is to identify existing findings and research gaps in post-learning changes in resting-state functional connectivity(RSFC), the basis for motor learning, using a scoping review. Using PubMed and Scopus, we extracted studies that examined changes in RSFC associated with motor learning with unilateral hand and analyzed the content by considering learning task, duration, and age group. As a result, 17 studies were extracted and analyzed. For motor learning tasks, there were 15 papers with simple movements and 2 papers with complex movements, and the changes in RSFC varied depending on the type of task. Regarding study duration, there were 12 papers with short practices and 5 papers with long practices, with RSFC decreasing with longer duration. For the subjects’ age, there were 15 papers with healthy young subjects and 2 papers with elderly subjects, and the elderly subjects had decreased RSFC across a wider range of brain regions than the young subjects. However, knowledge about the elderly and their learning of complex movements remains lacking. Therefore, further study is needed to apply this knowledge to rehabilitation to support the acquisition of complex movements in the elderly and in daily life.
