2026 Undergraduate Research Showcase

The Road to Expertise: Using Alpha Oscillations to Understand Movement Preparation in Motor Learning

Document Type

Student Presentation

Presentation Date

4-24-2026

Faculty Sponsor

Dr. Mariane Bacelar

Abstract

The progression toward motor expertise is marked by greater efficiency during movement preparation and execution. At the brain level, motor preparatory activity can be captured via electroencephalography (EEG) and, in particular, alpha power (8-12Hz) recorded prior to movement initiation. Within the framework of the neural efficiency hypothesis, alpha power acts as a gating mechanism that inhibits task-irrelevant brain regions while enhancing activity in task-relevant areas during motor planning. Furthermore, at the behavioral level, as an individual practices a motor skill, their movement patterns become more autonomous, which could result from more efficient movement preparation. Previous work has shown that increasing motor preparatory alpha power is associated with improved performance and refined motor programming, especially in experts. In this way, alpha power can be a great tool to help us understand changes in movement preparation at the brain level, deepening our knowledge of how expertise is achieved. Thus, the goal of this work is to describe how alpha power can be a useful tool in the skill acquisition domain, provide examples of previous work in this area, and present opportunities for future research.

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