Simultaneous and alternate combinations of action-observation and motor imagery involve a common lower-level sensorimotor process

Romano-Smith, Stephanie; Roberts, James W.; Wood, Greg; Coyles, Ginny; Wakefield, Caroline

doi:10.1016/j.psychsport.2022.102275

Cited by 8 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 64 publications

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“…In contrast to the null effects reported for both the AO and MI conditions, the present within-participants experiment demonstrates that AO + MI practice was effective for the acquisition of a novel and complex motor skill in the absence of physical practice. This result is in line with previous betweengroup studies demonstrating beneficial practice effects for AO + MI training in neurotypical populations compared to AO [e.g., (118)], or MI [e.g., (71,72)], or compared to both AO and MI (74-76). Building upon the significant findings of Binks et al (77), the present study is the first to fully counterbalance the research design to control for several common sources of extraneous variability, while analyzing motor learning via mental practice in a stroke survivor population.…”

Section: Action Observation During Motor Imagery E Ectssupporting

confidence: 91%

Enhancing upper-limb neurorehabilitation in chronic stroke survivors using combined action observation and motor imagery therapy

Binks

Emerson²,

Scott³

et al. 2023

Front. Neurol.

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IntroductionFor people who have had a stroke, recovering upper-limb function is a barrier to independence. When movement is difficult, mental practice can be used to complement physical therapy. In this within-participants study we investigated the effects of combined action observation and motor imagery (AO + MI) therapy on upper-limb recovery in chronic stroke survivors.MethodsA Graeco-Latin Square design was used to counterbalance four mental practice conditions (AO + MI, AO, MI, Control) across four cup-stacking tasks of increasing complexity. Once a week, for five consecutive weeks, participants (n = 10) performed 16 mental practice trials under each condition. Each trial displayed a 1st person perspective of a cup-stacking task performed by an experienced model. For AO, participants watched each video and responded to an occasional color cue. For MI, participants imagined the effort and sensation of performing the action; cued by a series of still-images. For combined AO + MI, participants observed a video of the action while they simultaneously imagined performing the same action in real-time. At three time points (baseline; post-test; two-week retention test) participants physically executed the three mentally practiced cup-stacking tasks, plus a fourth unpractised sequence (Control), as quickly and accurately as possible.ResultsMean movement execution times were significantly reduced overall in the post-test and the retention test compared to baseline. At retention, movement execution times were significantly shorter for combined AO + MI compared to both MI and the Control. Individual participants reported clinically important changes in quality of life (Stroke Impact Scale) and positive qualitative experiences of AO + MI (social validation).DiscussionThese results indicate that when physical practice is unsuitable, combined AO + MI therapy could offer an effective adjunct for neurorehabilitation in chronic stroke survivors.

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Section: Action Observation During Motor Imagery E Ectssupporting

confidence: 91%

Enhancing upper-limb neurorehabilitation in chronic stroke survivors using combined action observation and motor imagery therapy

Binks

Emerson²,

Scott³

et al. 2023

Front. Neurol.

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Trajectory priming through obstacle avoidance in motor imagery – does motor imagery comprise the spatial characteristics of movement?

Roberts,

Wakefield,

Owen

2024

Exp Brain Res

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Motor imagery and execution often indicate a similar trend in the temporal characteristics of movements. This finding supports the notion of functional equivalence, whereby imagery and execution use a common neural representation. However, there is comparatively limited evidence related to the spatial characteristics of movements; no doubt owing to the absence of an actual spatial trajectory during imagery. Therefore, we adapted the trajectory priming paradigm involving an obstacle, where the trajectory adopted in a trial (n) is directly contaminated by a previous trial (n-1). If imagery accurately represents the spatial characteristics, then we would predict a similar priming effect as execution. Participants completed a series of trial blocks under different imagery/execution protocols, where the test trial (n) comprised execution alone, while the previous trial (n-1) involved imagery or execution. Each block comprised pairs of trials with alternate or consistent presentations of a virtual obstacle (O) or no obstacle (N): N-N, N-O, O-N, O-O. For trial n-1 (imagery/execution), there was a more prolonged reaction and movement time for imagery compared execution. Most importantly for trial n (execution), there was an increase in early angular and peak deviation following an obstacle compared to no obstacle in trial n-1, but only when it was execution and not imagery. These findings suggest imagery holds a limited representation of the spatial characteristics, while functional equivalence may be limited to the temporal characteristics.

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Enhancing motor imagery practice using synchronous action observation

Eaves

Hodges

Buckingham

et al. 2022

Psychological Research

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In this paper, we discuss a variety of ways in which practising motor actions by means of motor imagery (MI) can be enhanced via synchronous action observation (AO), that is, by AO + MI. We review the available research on the (mostly facilitatory) behavioural effects of AO + MI practice in the early stages of skill acquisition, discuss possible theoretical explanations, and consider several issues related to the choice and presentation schedules of suitable models. We then discuss considerations related to AO + MI practice at advanced skill levels, including expertise effects, practical recommendations such as focussing attention on specific aspects of the observed action, using just-ahead models, and possible effects of the perspective in which the observed action is presented. In section “Coordinative AO + MI”, we consider scenarios where the observer imagines performing an action that complements or responds to the observed action, as a promising and yet under-researched application of AO + MI training. In section “The dual action simulation hypothesis of AO + MI”, we review the neurocognitive hypothesis that AO + MI practice involves two parallel action simulations, and we consider opportunities for future research based on recent neuroimaging work on parallel motor representations. In section “AO + MI training in motor rehabilitation”, we review applications of AO, MI, and AO + MI training in the field of neurorehabilitation. Taken together, this evidence-based, exploratory review opens a variety of avenues for future research and applications of AO + MI practice, highlighting several clear advantages over the approaches of purely AO- or MI-based practice.

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Simultaneous and alternate combinations of action-observation and motor imagery involve a common lower-level sensorimotor process

Cited by 8 publications

References 64 publications

Enhancing upper-limb neurorehabilitation in chronic stroke survivors using combined action observation and motor imagery therapy

Enhancing upper-limb neurorehabilitation in chronic stroke survivors using combined action observation and motor imagery therapy

Trajectory priming through obstacle avoidance in motor imagery – does motor imagery comprise the spatial characteristics of movement?

Enhancing motor imagery practice using synchronous action observation

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