Lifespan Motor Neuroscience

Welcome to the homepage of the Lifespan Motor Neuroscience (LMN) Lab at the University of Utah! LMN is led by Dr. Brad King and is one of four labs within the Cognitive and Motor Neuroscience Theme in the Department of Health & Kinesiology at the University of Utah. 

The overarching aim of our lab is to examine how changes in the structure and functioning of the brain across the human lifespan influence the learning and control of movement. We predominantly focus on two periods during which substantial age-related changes in motor functioning are evident: childhood (approximately 4 to 12 years) and older adulthood (> 65 years). Although rarely integrated, research investigating these two epochs are mutually informative, as the age-related changes during these periods are the result of experience-dependent and age-related neural plasticity. 

This research utilizes multiple motor behavior paradigms, including motor adaptation, motor sequence learning and bimanual coordination. We employ functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), including analyses of task-related brain activity and connectivity as well as resting state functional connectivity, and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) to assess experience-dependent neuroplasticity. The role of diurnal and nocturnal sleep in learning and memory processes is quantified with polysomnography (PSG). 

By employing multimodal neural imaging (functional MRI, MRS and EEG) in order to understand the neural mechanisms underlying age-related changes, we can ultimately determine novel approaches to facilitate sensorimotor development in children and minimize age-related declines in older adults.