Effects of Action Observation on Physical Training After Stroke

Abstract

Background and Purpose-In healthy humans, observation of another individual performing a motor training task (action observation [AO]) facilitates, in the observer, the effects of physical training (PT) on motor memory formation. It is not known whether this facilitatory process, of potential value for neurorehabilitation, occurs after stroke. Methods-Eight chronic stroke patients completed this crossover-randomized investigation. A transcranial magnetic stimulation protocol that tests formation of motor memories was used to determine the effects of PT alone and in combination with AO in 2 different forms: congruent (PTϩAO congruent ) and incongruent (PTϩAO incongruent ) to the practiced task. Results-The magnitude of motor memory formation was larger with PTϩAO congruent than with PT alone or PTϩ AO incongruent . This effect was associated with a differential corticomotor excitability change in the muscles acting as agonist and antagonist of the trained/observed movements. Conclusions-These

Cortical activation during executed, imagined, observed, and passive wrist movements in healthy volunteers and stroke patients

“…To avoid this, we chose a more realistic scenario, namely that severely paretic patients will initially try to produce a very basic and simple movement, such as a wrist flexionextension (cf. Celnik et al, 2008) (but see Pomeroy et al, 2005). At the same time we also ensured that the same movement was used in all conditions (for instance, grasping an object is difficult to realize as a passive movement).…”

“…It has been argued that movement observation activates the human mirror neuron system, which consists of neurons responding to both, the overt execution of an action and the observation of that same action performed by somebody else (Ertelt et al, 2007;Gazzola and Keysers, 2009;Iacoboni and Mazziotta, 2007;Pomeroy et al, 2005;Rizzolatti and Sinigaglia, 2010;Roosink and Zijdewind, 2010). Initial evidence suggests that movement observation can also be successfully applied in rehabilitation (Celnik et al, 2008;Ertelt et al, 2007;Stefan et al, 2008).…”

Cronotipo e implicações para sua utilização na fisioterapia em pacientes com acidente vascular encefálico

“…A literatura especifica esses achados como um "efeito de sincronia", no qual o desempenho cognitivo-motor é melhor quando os testes são realizados no momento "ótimo" e cai substancialmente na hora "não ótima" 18,19 Os dados encontrados no presente estudo também reforçam a importân-cia de se identificar os instrumentos necessários para uma avaliação adequada dos pacientes com AVE 20 , principalmente na área da Cronobiologia. Além disso, esses resultados podem dar embasamento para as novas terapias propostas na reabilitação do AVE, tais como a imagética motora 21 e a prática observacional 22 que demandam elevado processamento cognitivo em associação com a função motora, que por sua vez podem ser influenciadas pelo cronotipo de cada paciente.…”

Effects of Action Observation Therapy in Patients Recovering From Total Hip Arthroplasty Arthroplasty: A Prospective Clinical Trial

“…3 Action observation therapy (AOT) has been proposed as a feasible alternative method of stimulating the motor system, even when the severity of impairment does not permit efficient activation of the peripheral motor system effectors. According to this idea, a growing number of AOT-based interventions have been adopted for the rehabilitation of patients with stroke [4][5][6][7] or Parkinson disease 8 and for use in impaired elderly people. 9 Robert et al 10 highlighted that new information and communication technologies (ICT)-such as video and audio analysis techniques, computerized testing, and actigraphy-may represent promising new tools to improve functional and cognitive assessments of patients.…”