Recently we found that enhancements of movement-related beta (13.5–25 Hz) modulation (measured as event-related desynchronization peak to synchronization peak) during a simple reaching test (mov) occur over frontal and left sensorimotor regions after extended practice in a visuo-motor adaptation task (ROT) but not after similar duration practice in a visual learning task. Here we verify whether those enhancements are also trigged by motor practice alone or the additional learning component inherent in the visuo-motor adaptation task is needed. In healthy young subjects, beta modulation during mov increased over frontal and contralateral sensorimotor areas after three-hour practice of either ROT or reaching movements without visuo-motor adaptation (MOT). However, while the increase over the left area was similar after the two tasks, the frontal increase was greater after ROT practice. These findings confirm previous reports that extensive practice leaves local traces in beta power both at rest and during the subsequent execution of a motor test. They further suggest that, since they occur after motor tasks with (ROT) and without learning (MOT), these traces likely express the cost of processes necessary both for usage of these areas and for the engagement of long-term potentiation mechanisms necessary for creating new internal models.
