Abstract
Motor imagery (MI) refers to the process of imagining a movement in the absence of either actual movement or execution of the mentally rehearsed task. It is a dynamic simulation of the performed action incorporating temporal, sequential, and biomechanical planning, which changes in content as the action is imagined over time. This chapter outlines the clinical potential of MI in the rehabilitation of movement disorders and discusses the neurophysiological basis of normal movement and the overlapping networks and recruitment patterns that exist during MI tasks. Further, the chapter reviews contemporary evidence regarding the effects of MI in a variety of clinical conditions, including complex regional pain syndrome, phantom limb pain and stroke, and presents some of the validated outcome measures used in assessing MI, as well as clinical applications of MI programmes, open questions and future implications for research and clinical practice.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Guillot A, Di Rienzo F, MacIntyre T, Moran A, Collet C. Imagining is not doing but involves specific motor commands: a review of experimental data related to motor inhibition. Front Hum Neurosci. 2012. doi:10.3389/fnhum.2012.00247.
Jeannerod M. Motor cognition. What actions tell the self. Oxford: Oxford University Press; 2006. p. 21–44.
Callow N, Waters A. The effects of kinesthetic imagery on the sports confidence of flat-race horse jockeys. Psychol Sport Exerc. 2005;6:443–59.
Voisin JIA, Mercier C, Jackson P, Richards CL, Malouin F. Is somatosensory excitability more affected by the perspective or modality content of the motor imagery? Neurosci Lett. 2011;493:33–7.
Guillot A, Colles C, Nguyen VA, Malouin F, Richards C, Doyon J. Brain activity during visual versus kinaesthetic imagery: an fMRI study. Hum Brain Mapp. 2009;30:2157–72.
Stinear CM, Byblow WD, Steyvers M, Levin O, Swinnen SP. Kinesthetic, but not visual, motor imagery modulates corticomotor excitability. Exp Brain Res. 2011;168:157–64.
Richardson A. Mental practice: a review and discussion. Part I Research Quarterly. 1967;38:95–107.
Richardson A. Mental practice: a review and discussion. Part II Research Quarterly. 1967;38:264–73.
Weinberg R. Does imagery work? Effects on performance and mental skills. J Imagery Res Sport Phys Activ. 2008;3(1):1–21.
Rothwell JC. Overview of neurophysiology of movement control. Clin Neurol Neurosurg. 2012;114:432–5.
Dominey P, Decety J, Broussolle E, Chazot G, Jeannerod M. Motor imagery of a lateralized sequential task is asymmetrically slowed in hemi-Parkinson’s patients. Neuropsychologia. 1995;33:727–41.
Schott N, Munzert J. Mental chronometry in the elderly. J Exerc Sport Psychol. 2002;24:109.
Malouin F, Richards CL, Desrosiers J, Doyon J. Bilateral slowing of mentally simulated actions after stroke. Neuroreport. 2004;15:1349–53.
Decety J, Jeannerod M. Fitts law in mentally simulated movements. Behav Brain Res. 1996;72:127–34.
Decety J, Jeannerod M, Durozard D, Baverel G. Central activation of autonomic effectors during mental simulation of motor actions in man. J Physiol. 1993;461:549–63.
Mulder T, de Vries S, Zijlstra S. Observation, imagination and execution of an effortful movement: more evidence for a central explanation of motor imagery. Exp Brain Res. 2005;344–351.
Lebon F, Rouffet D, Collet C, Guillot A. Modulation of EMG power spectrum frequency during motor imagery. Neurosci Lett. 2008;25:181–5.
Guillot A, Lebon F, Rouffet D, et al. Muscular responses during motor imagery as a function of muscle contraction types. Int J Psychophysiol. 2007;66:18–27.
Jowdy DP, Harris DV. Muscular responses during mental imagery as a function of motor skill level. J Sport Exerc Psychol. 1990;12:191–201.
Schuster C, Hilfiker R, Amft O, et al. Best practice for motor imagery: a systematic literature review on motor imagery training elements in five different disciplines. BMC Med. 2011;9(1):75.
Malouin F, Richards C. Mental practice for relearning locomotor skills. Phys Ther. 2010;90(2):240–51.
Beaumont G, Mercier C, Michon PE, Malouin F, Jackson PL. Decreasing phantom limb pain through observation of action and imagery: a case series. Pain Med. 2011;12(2):289–99.
De Vries S, Mulder T. Motor imagery and stroke rehabilitation: a critical discussion. J Rehabil Med. 2007;39(1):5–13.
Moseley GL. Graded motor imagery for pathologic pain: a randomized controlled trial. Neurology. 2006;67:2129–34.
Munzert J, Lorey B, Zentgraf K. Cognitive motor processes: the role of motor imagery in the study of motor representations. Brain Res Rev. 2009;60:306–26.
Mulder T. Motor imagery and action observation: cognitive tools for rehabilitation. J Neural Transm. 2007;114:1265–78.
Moseley GL. Imagined movements cause pain and swelling in a patient with complex regional pain syndrome. Neurology. 2004;62(1):1644.
Sharma N, Pomeroy VM, Baron JC. Motor imagery: a backdoor to the motor system after stroke? Stroke. 2006;37:1941–52.
Page SJ, Dunning K, Hermann V, Leonard A, Levine P. Longer versus shorter mental practice sessions for affected upper extremity movement after stroke: a randomized controlled trial. Clin Rehabil. 2011;25(7):627–37.
Page SJ, Levine P, Sisto S, Johnston MV. A randomized efficacy and feasibility study of imagery in acute stroke. Clin Rehabil. 2005;86:399–402.
Dijkerman HC, Letswaart M, Johnston M, MacWalter RS. Does motor imagery training improve hand function in chronic stroke patients? A pilot study. Clin Rehabil. 2004;18:538–49.
Liu KP, Chan CC, Lee TM, Hui-Chan CW. Mental imagery for promoting relearning for people after stroke a randomized controlled trial. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2004;85:1403–8.
Page SJ, Levine P, Sisto S, Johnston MV. A randomized efficacy and feasibility study of imagery in acute stroke. Clin Rehabil. 2001;15:233–40.
Subramanian L, Hindle JV, Johnston S, et al. Real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging neurofeedback for treatment of Parkinson’s disease. J Neurosci. 2011;31:16309–17.
Tamir R, Dickstein R, Huberman M. Integration of motor imagery and physical practice in group treatment applied to subjects with Parkinson’s disease. Neurorehabil Neural Repair. 2007;21:68–75.
MacIver K, Lloyd DM, Kelly S, Roberts N, Nurmikko T. Phantom limb pain, cortical reorganization and the therapeutic effect of mental imagery. Brain. 2008;131(8):2181–91.
Lacourse MG, Orr EL, Cramer SC, Cohen MJ. Brain activation during execution and motor imagery of novel and skilled sequential hand movements. Neuroimage. 2005;27(3):505–19.
Jackson PL, Lafleur MF, Malouin F, Richards CL, Doyon J. Functional cerebral reorganization following motor sequence learning through mental practice with motor imagery. Neuroimage. 2003;20(2):1171–80.
Harden RN, Bruelh S, Perez RS, et al. Validation of proposed diagnostic criteria (the Budapest Criteria) for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. Pain. 2010;150:268–74.
Moseley GL. Is successful rehabilitation of complex regional pain syndrome due to sustained attention to the affected limb? A randomised clinical trial. Pain. 2005;1–4:54–61.
Cohen H, Harris N, McCabe CS. Distorting proprioception in patients with rheumatic diseases exacerbates sensory disturbances: further evidence for central pain mechanisms. Rheumatology. 2010;49(S1):i62.
Swart K, Stins JF, Beek PJ. Cortical changes in complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). Eur J Pain. 2009;13:902–7.
Johnson S, Hall J, Barnett S, et al. Using graded motor imagery for complex regional pain syndrome in clinical practice: failure to improve pain. Eur J Pain. 2012;16(4):550–61.
Parsons LM, Fox PT, Downs JH, et al. Use of implicit motor imagery for visual shape discrimination as revealed by PET. Nature. 1995;375:54–8.
Viswanathan S, Fritz C, Grafton ST. Telling the right hand from the left hand: multisensory integration, not motor imagery, solves the problem. Psychol Sci. 2012;23(6):598–607.
Priganc VW, Stralka SW. Graded motor imagery. J Hand Therapy. 2011;24(2):164–9.
McCabe CS, Haigh RC, Ring EFR, Halligan PW, Wall PD, Blake DR. A controlled pilot study of the utility of mirror visual feedback in the treatment of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (Type 1). Rheumatology. 2003;42:97–101.
Moseley GL. Graded motor imagery is effective for long-standing complex regional pain syndrome: a randomised controlled trial. Pain. 2004;108(1–2):192–8.
McCabe CS, Haigh RC, Halligan PW, Blake DR. Simulating sensory-motor incongruence in healthy volunteers: implications for a cortical model of rheumatology pain. Rheumatology. 2005;44:509–16.
McCabe C, Bodamyali T, Cohen H, Blake DR. Somaesthetic disturbances in fibromyalgia are exaggerated by sensory-motor conflict: implications for chronicity of the disease? Rheumatology. 2007;46:1587–92.
Hall CR. Imagery in sport and exercise. In: Singer RN, Hausenblas HA, Janelle CM, editors. Handbook of sport psychology. 2nd ed. New York, NY: Wiley; 2001. p. 529–49.
Sirigu A, Duhamel JR, Cohen L, Pillon B, Dubois B, Agid Y. The mental representation of hand movements after parietal cortex damage. Science. 1996;273:1564–8.
Malouin F, Richards CL, Durand A, Doyon J. Clinical assessment of motor imagery after stroke. Neurorehabil Neural Repair. 2008;22:330–40.
Isaac A, Marks DF, Russell DG. An Instrument for assessing imagery of movement; the Vividness of Movement Imagery Questionnaire (VMIQ). J Ment Imag. 1986;10(4):23–30.
Campos A, Perez MJ. A factor analysis study of two measures of mental imagery. Percept Mot Skills. 1990;71:995–1001.
Hall CR, Martin KA. Movement imagery abilities: a revision of the Movement Imagery Questionnaire. J Ment Imag. 1997;21:143–54.
Hall CR, Pongrac J. Movement imagery questionnaire. Faculty of Physical Education. London, ON: The University of Western Ontario; 1983.
Gregg M, Hall C, Butler A. The MIQ-RS, A suitable option for examining movement imagery ability. Evid Base Compl Alternative Med. 2010;7(2):249–57.
Butler A, Cazeaux J, Fidler A, et al. The movement imagery questionnaire-revised, second edition (MIQ-RS) is a reliable and valid tool for evaluating motor imagery in stroke populations. Evid Base Compl Alternative Med. 2012;2012:1–11.
Malouin F, Richards CL, Jackson P, Lafleur M, Durand A, Doyon J. The Kinesthetic and Visual Imagery Questionnaire (KVIQ) for Assessing Motor Imagery in Persons with Physical Disabilities: A Reliability and Construct Validity Study. Journal of Neurologic Physical Therapy. 2007;31(1):20–9.
McAvinue LP, Robertson IH. Measuring motor imagery ability: a review. Eur J Cogn Psychol. 2008;20(2):232–51.
Malouin F, Richards CL, Durand A, Doyon J. Reliability of Mental Chronometry for Assessing Motor Imagery Ability After Stroke. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2008;89:311–9.
Zimmermann-Schlatter A, Schuster C, Puhan MA, Siekierka E, Steurer J. Efficacy of motor imagery in post-stroke rehabilitation: a systematic review. J Neuroeng Rehabil. 2008;5:8.
Roosink M, Zijdewind I. Corticospinal excitability during observation and imagery of simple and complex hand tasks: implications for motor rehabilitation. Behav Brain Res. 2010;213:35–41.
Braun S, Beurskens A, Kleynen M, Schols J, Wade D. Rehabilitation with mental practice has similar effects on mobility as rehabilitation with relaxation in people with Parkinson’s disease: a multicentre randomised trial. J Physiother. 2011;57:27–34.
Cramer SC, Orr EL, Cohen MJ, Lacourse MG. Effector of motor imagery training after chronic complete spinal cord injury. Exp Brain Res. 2006;177:233–42.
Lee G, Song C, Lee Y, Cho H, Lee S. Effects of motor imagery training on gait ability of patients with chronic stroke. J Phys Ther Sci. 2011;23(2):197–200.
Recommended Reading
Halpern SD, Ubel PA, Caplan AL. Solid-organ transplantation in HIV-infected patients. N Engl J Med. 2002;347(4):284–7.
Lorant J, Nicolas A. Validation of the French translation of the Movement Imagery Questionnaire-Revised (MIQ-R). Science Motricité. 2004;53:57–68.
Acknowledgements
N. Walsh is funded by an Arthritis Research UK Career Development Fellowship, L. Jones is funded by the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy Charitable Trust, and C. McCabe is funded by an NIHR Career Development Fellowship. Stephen Tate provided the original line drawing.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2015 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Walsh, N.E., Jones, L., McCabe, C.S. (2015). The Mechanisms and Actions of Motor Imagery Within the Clinical Setting. In: Knotkova, H., Rasche, D. (eds) Textbook of Neuromodulation. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-1408-1_12
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-1408-1_12
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-1407-4
Online ISBN: 978-1-4939-1408-1
eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)