Neural Mechanisms Underlying Sensorimotor Learning and Plasticity: Novel Advances and Future Perspectives

Dear Colleagues,

Sensorimotor learning is the process by which we acquire and refine our ability to perform tasks that involve both sensory perception and motor control. It consists of learning how to coordinate sensory information (e.g., sight, touch, and proprioception) with motor actions to achieve specific goals or tasks. Sensorimotor learning is essential for functions ranging from basic motor skills like walking or grasping objects to more complex activities like playing a musical instrument or performing sports, and its importance also encompasses cognitive functions like social cognition or action understanding. Furthermore, an impairment in the ability to correctly integrate sensory inputs and motor outputs characterizes different neurological and psychiatric conditions. Nevertheless, despite the vital importance of sensorimotor learning for correct brain functioning, the plastic mechanisms underlying it at a neurophysiological level are still debated and have been underexplored.

This Special Issue aims to present recent and cutting-edge findings providing novel insights into the neurophysiological substrates of sensorimotor plasticity and learning in the human brain.

As a common feature, the works in this Special Issue should explore sensorimotor learning and plasticity to better establish the anatomo-functional underpinnings of these phenomena, integrating different neuroscientific methodologies to deepen their functional (or dysfunctional) mechanisms. These explorations could be from a neurophysiological or cognitive perspective, focusing on both the healthy and the damaged central nervous system. We welcome the submission of studies using non-invasive brain stimulation techniques (like transcranial magnetic or transcranial electric stimulation), electroencephalography, and behavioural paradigms. Narrative reviews or meta-analyses investigating the state of the art of this topic are welcomed, too.

Dr. Giacomo Guidali
Guest Editor

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