Why you don’t easily forget how to ride a bicycle
Have you ever wondered what part of the brain is responsible for learning to ride a bicycle and why learning to ride a bicycle is not easily forgotten once learned?
Learning how to ride a bicycle is a long-term memory known as an implicit and procedural memory. Implicit memories are learned through repetition and do not require conscious thought to perform once learned. They are automatic and sometimes referred to as muscle memories, but the encoded information to perform the skill is not stored in the muscles. Motor skills like riding a bicycle have long been known to be stored in the areas of the brain known as the cerebellum and basal ganglia.
Studies suggest that long-term implicit memories like riding a bicycle are more resistant to traumatic brain injury than explicit memories like remembering facts such as names and dates. The reason for this greater resistance is believed to be that the areas of the brain responsible for implicit memories are located deeper within the brain structure and are more protected and less vulnerable to impact forces than the brain areas responsible for explicit memories.
Traumatic brain injuries that involve the cerebellum or basal ganglia may result in symptoms of impaired motor skills that include problems with balance, coordination, and dexterity. Examples may include problems picking up and using a fork while eating, unsteady walking, dizziness, tremors, problems with hand writing or buttoning clothes, and more.
Knowing the different areas of the brain and symptoms of a brain injury is important to presenting strong winning TBI cases. If you have any questions or would like to learn more about our legal services and how our focus in brain injury and bicycle injury cases matters, please call us for free at (303) 831-1116 or use our Contact Us.
If you found this post helpful, you might also like to explore the other topics listed below and the many other topics in our comprehensive Safety & Prevention Guide, Brain Injury Guide, and Bike Injury Guide.
