Leveraging the effector independent nature of motor imagery when it is paired with physical practice.

ABSTRACT: While considered analogous to physical practice, the nature of imagery-based skill acquisition-specifically whether or not both effector independent and dependent encoding occurs through motor imagery-is not well understood. Here, motor imagery-based training was applied prior to or after physical practice-based training to probe the nature of imagery-based skill acquisition. Three groups of participants (N = 38) engaged in 10 days of training of a dart throwing task: 5 days of motor imagery prior to physical practice (MIP-PP), motor imagery following physical practice (PP-MIP), or physical practice only (PP-PP). Performance-related outcomes were assessed throughout. Brain activity was measured at three time points using fMRI (pre/mid/post-training; MIP-PP and PP-MIP groups). In contrast w

SUBMITTER: Kraeutner SN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7721807 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature