Understanding the Influence of Electrical Muscle Stimulation on Motor Learning: Enhancing Motor Learning or Disrupting Natural Progression?

Electrical Muscle Stimulation (EMS) induces muscle movement through external currents, offering a novel approach to motor learning. Researchers investigated using EMS as an alternative to conventional non-movement-inducing feedback techniques, such as vibrotactile and electrotactile feedback. While EMS shows promise in areas such as dance, sports, and motor skill acquisition, neurophysiological models of motor learning conflict about the impact of externally induced movements on sensorimotor representations. This study evaluated EMS against electrotactile feedback and a control condition in a two-session experiment assessing fast learning, consolidation, and learning transfer. Our results suggest an overall positive impact of EMS in motor learning. Although traditional electrotactile feedback had a higher learning rate, EMS increased the learning plateau, as measured by a three-factor exponential decay model. This study provides empirical evidence supporting EMS as a plausible method for motor augmentation and skill transfer, contributing to understanding its role in motor learning.