The authors of this study measured metabolic and neuronal activity in nonhuman primates after long-term motor training, and found that skill learning was correlated with a reduction in metabolic activity in the primary motor cortex without an effect on neuronal firing. After extended practice, there was a profound reduction of metabolic activity in M1 for the performance of internally generated compared to visually guided tasks. They suggest that skill learning results in an increase in metabolic efficiency in the motor cortex.
Picard N, Matsuzaka Y and Strick PL: Extended practice of a motor skill is associated with reduced metabolic activity in M1. Nature Neuroscience (2013) doi:10.1038/nn.3477 [Epub ahead of print August 4, 2013].
