Abstract
BackgroundRecent data support the beneficial role of gesturing during mental practice. The present study examined whether coupling motor imagery (MI) with some movement sequences (dynamic imagery condition) impacted motor performance to a greater extent than performing MI while remaining motionless.MethodsA group of active high jumpers imagined their jump both with and without associated arm movement. Three outcome variables were measured: the number of successful attempts, the temporal congruence between MI and actual jump performance, and the technical quality of the jump.ResultsData revealed that dynamic imagery enhanced both MI quality and temporal congruence between MI and motor performance, and further improved the technical efficacy of the jump. Athletes also reported more vivid representation while coupling MI with actual movement.ConclusionsThese data support the hypothesis that performing dynamic imagery might contribute to enhance MI quality and efficacy, and sketch potentially fruitful new directions for MI practice.
Highlights
Recent data support the beneficial role of gesturing during mental practice
There was no participant with extremely high or low Movement Imagery Questionnaire – Revised version (MIQ-R) score, and current MIQ-R mean scores were comparable to those observed in previous motor imagery (MI) studies [15,23]
Motor imagery and actual times When MI was performed while remaining motionless, mean MI time was 5.12 s (0.88), and mean corresponding actual time was 4.24 s (0.78)
Summary
Recent data support the beneficial role of gesturing during mental practice. The present study examined whether coupling motor imagery (MI) with some movement sequences (dynamic imagery condition) impacted motor performance to a greater extent than performing MI while remaining motionless. Results: Data revealed that dynamic imagery enhanced both MI quality and temporal congruence between MI and motor performance, and further improved the technical efficacy of the jump. Conclusions: These data support the hypothesis that performing dynamic imagery might contribute to enhance MI quality and efficacy, and sketch potentially fruitful new directions for MI practice. MI and physical practice share similar neural substrate, albeit corresponding neural networks are not totally overlapping [2,3,4,5], supporting the principle of functional equivalence [6] Based on this concept, the efficacy of an imagery intervention is thought to depend on this abstract idea of neural similarity between MI and motor performance. It is well-known that physical experience is important before
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