Editing Muscle memory (section)

===Muscle memory encoding===

The [[neuroanatomy of memory]] is widespread throughout the [[brain]]; however, the pathways important to motor memory are separate from the medial [[temporal lobe]] pathways associated with [[declarative memory]].<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Brashers-Krug | first1 = T | last2 = Shadmehr | first2 = R. | last3 = Bizzi | first3 = E. | year = 1996 | title = Consolidation in human motor memory | journal = Nature | volume = 382 | issue = 6588| pages = 252–255| doi=10.1038/382252a0| pmid = 8717039 | bibcode = 1996Natur.382..252B| citeseerx = 10.1.1.39.3383 | s2cid = 4316225 }}</ref>  As with declarative memory, motor memory is theorized to have two stages: a short-term [[memory encoding]] stage, which is fragile and susceptible to damage, and a long-term [[memory consolidation]] stage, which is more stable.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Atwell | first1 = P. | last2 = Cooke | first2 = S. | last3 = Yeo | first3 = C. | year = 2002 | title = Cerebellar function in consolidation of motor memory | journal = Neuron | volume = 34 | issue = 6| pages = 1011–1020 | doi=10.1016/s0896-6273(02)00719-5| pmid = 12086647 | doi-access = free }}</ref> 
  
The memory encoding stage is often referred to as [[motor learning]], and requires an increase in brain activity in motor areas as well as an increase in attention. Brain areas active during motor learning include the motor and somatosensory cortices; however, these areas of activation decrease once the motor skill is learned. The prefrontal and frontal cortices are also active during this stage due to the need for increased attention on the task being learned.<ref name = "Shadmehr" />

The main area involved in motor learning is the [[cerebellum]]. Some models of cerebellar-dependent motor learning, in particular the Marr-Albus model, propose a single plasticity mechanism involving the cerebellar [[long-term depression]] (LTD) of the parallel fiber synapses onto [[Purkinje cells]].  These modifications in synapse activity would mediate motor input with motor outputs critical to inducing motor learning.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Boyden | first1 = E. | last2 = Katoh | first2 = A. | last3 = Raymond | first3 = J. | year = 2004 | title = Cerebellum-dependent learning: the role of multiple plasticity mechanisms | journal = Annu. Rev. Neurosci. | volume = 27 | pages = 581–609 | doi=10.1146/annurev.neuro.27.070203.144238 | pmid=15217344}}</ref> However, conflicting evidence suggests that a single plasticity mechanism is not sufficient and a multiple plasticity mechanism are needed to account for the storage of motor memories over time. Regardless of the mechanism, studies of cerebellar-dependent  motor tasks show that cerebral cortical plasticity is crucial for motor learning, even if not necessarily for storage.<ref name = "Ma" />

The [[basal ganglia]] also play an important role in memory and learning, in particular in reference to stimulus-response associations and the formation of habits. The basal ganglia-cerebellar connections are thought to increase with time when learning a motor task.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Packard | first1 = M. | last2 = Knowlton | first2 = B. | year = 2002 | title = Learning and memory functions of the basal ganglia.  | journal = Annu. Rev. Neurosci. | volume = 25 | pages = 563–93 | pmid = 12052921 | doi = 10.1146/annurev.neuro.25.112701.142937 }}</ref>