Abstract
Motor imagery (MI) is the act of coding the mental aspect of an intended task without executing it. Fear consists of an anxiogenic response to a previous event, which provides a state of alertness to the individual in the face of a threat. These two conditions (imagery and fear) may modulate orthostatic postural control, but their combined effect is still unknown. To investigate whether cervical kinesthetic motor imagery induces modulations in postural control and in the fear of falling (FoF) sensation in healthy young adults. Participants (n = 20) were placed on the Wii Balance Board® and oriented to perform and imagine three tasks for 60 s: (1) closed eyes; (2) cervical flexion; and (3) cervical inclination. The number of performed and imagined repetitions were recorded, and participants responded to a question at the end of each task regarding the FoF. There were four relevant effects: (1) there was no difference between the number of performed and imagined repetitions (p > 0.05) indicating similarities; (2) there was a greater sensation of FoF induced by kinesthetic MI tasks (p < 0.001); (3) there was a greater modulation of the center of pressure (mean velocity and amplitude) in the anteroposterior direction in phobic subjects (p < 0.05); and (4) there was no modulation between the non-phobic subjects in the anteroposterior direction (p > 0.05). The FoF during kinesthetic MI tasks may influence the orthostatic postural control, favoring the reduction in postural stability.
Highlights
The imagination and the sensation of a movement are strictly related phenomena and have a voluntary control profile [1]
Studies have shown that kinesthetic Motor imagery (MI) presents a greater modulation in orthostatic postural control compared to visual MI [7,8,9], and this effect has been related to the level of vividness of the imagined movement [10]
The values related to the scoring obtained in the fear of falling (FoF) scale after the tasks of MI are presented as mean, respectively: 20.4 ± 22.13 (0–75) for flexion and 18.2 ± 20. 2 (0–80) for cervical inclination
Summary
The imagination and the sensation of a movement are strictly related phenomena and have a voluntary control profile [1]. The first simulation is based on sensory-motor information (proprioceptive) and the second is based on the sensory (visual) perception of the imagined movement [4]. There is a common neural substrate between these two strategies [2,5], distinct neural circuits are accessed in each one of them by imagining the same task [3,6]. Studies have shown that kinesthetic MI presents a greater modulation in orthostatic postural control compared to visual MI [7,8,9], and this effect has been related to the level of vividness of the imagined movement [10]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
