Abstract
Background. Action observation and motor imagery activate neural structures involved in action execution, thereby facilitating movement and learning. Although some benefits of action observation and motor imagery have been reported in Parkinson's disease (PD), methods have been based on stroke rehabilitation and may be less suitable for PD. Moreover, previous studies have focused on either observation or imagery, yet combining these enhances effects in healthy participants. The present study explores the feasibility of a PD-specific home-based intervention combining observation, imagery, and imitation of meaningful everyday actions. Methods. A focus group was conducted with six people with mild to moderate PD and two companions, exploring topics relating to the utility and feasibility of a home-based observation and imagery intervention. Results. Five themes were identified. Participants reported their experiences of exercise and use of action observation and motor imagery in everyday activities, and the need for strategies to improve movement was expressed. Motivational factors including feedback, challenge, and social support were identified as key issues. The importance of offering a broad range of actions and flexible training was also highlighted. Conclusions. A home-based intervention utilising action observation and motor imagery would be useful and feasible in mild to moderate PD.
Highlights
People with Parkinson’s disease (PD) often have difficulty in initiating movements, and movements can be slower and reduced in size
Observation of human movement may provide another form of cueing, and researchers have recently begun to investigate the therapeutic potential of action observation (AO) in rehabilitation for PD
Motor imagery scores for both visual and kinaesthetic subscales of the KVIQ (Table 1) were within the range previously reported for healthy individuals of a similar age [41], indicating that participants were able to engage in motor imagery and that vividness of imagery was similar to that of healthy older adults
Summary
People with PD often have difficulty in initiating movements, and movements can be slower and reduced in size. Observation of human movement may provide another form of cueing, and researchers have recently begun to investigate the therapeutic potential of action observation (AO) in rehabilitation for PD (for reviews see [3, 4]) Observing another person’s movement activates neural structures involved in performing the same movement [5, 6], facilitating subsequent action. Action observation and motor imagery activate neural structures involved in action execution, thereby facilitating movement and learning. The present study explores the feasibility of a PD-specific home-based intervention combining observation, imagery, and imitation of meaningful everyday actions. Participants reported their experiences of exercise and use of action observation and motor imagery in everyday activities, and the need for strategies to improve movement was expressed. A home-based intervention utilising action observation and motor imagery would be useful and feasible in mild to moderate PD
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