Motor Learning: Bridging the Gap Between Basic and Applied Approaches

Motor learning underlies our ability to acquire and perfect movements across all domains of human behavior. Historically, research in this field is rooted in two distinct pathways: basic research investigating fundamental mechanisms of how we learn movement skills and applied research developing strategies to enhance skill acquisition in real-world contexts. Despite their natural complementarity, these approaches developed largely in isolation, eventually leading to a disconnect between the basic and applied research traditions. This separation is evident in citation patterns, conference attendance, and journal preferences. Here, we scrutinize this divide and identify pathways for reconnecting these traditions to advance both our understanding and enhancement of motor learning.