The retrieval of previously learned motor memories is facilitated by the reinstatement of default mode network manifold structures

Abstract

Motor learning induces alterations in neural activity that can persist long after the effects of such learning have faded. These persistent neural alterations are thought to manifest behaviorally as “savings,” or faster relearning, via access to a latent motor memory. How the human brain forms and retrieves these latent memories, and the specific neural systems involved, remains unresolved. Here, using human functional MRI and a two-day sensorimotor adaptation paradigm, we show that savings are associated with the reinstatement of a large-scale cortical manifold structure formed during initial learning. Notably, this neural reinstatement effect was not observed across sensorimotor systems but was localized to regions of the default mode network (DMN). Moreover, the specific dynamics of DMN activity were linked to inter-subject differences in patterns of learning and relearning across days. These results suggest that motor savings arises from the re-expression of DMN activity patterns associated with initial learning, establishing a key role for this network in motor memory formation and retrieval. This finding, paralleling reinstatement principles from other memory domains (episodic memory, fear conditioning) and anticipated by recent computational models of motor learning, suggests a common mechanism for the flexible recall and reuse of stored memories across diverse behavioral contexts.