Interlimb transfer of sequential motor learning between upper and lower effectors.

Background: Interlimb transfer of sequential motor learning (SML) refers to the positive influence of prior experiences in performing the same sequential movements using different effectors. Despite evidence from intermanual SML, and while most daily living activities involve interlimb cooperation and coordination between the four limbs, nothing is known about bilateral SML transfer between the upper and lower limbs.

Research Question: We examined the transfer of bilateral SML from the upper to the lower limbs and vice versa.

Towards efficient motor imagery interventions after lower-limb amputation.

Background: The therapeutic benefits of motor imagery (MI) are now well-established in different populations of persons suffering from central nervous system impairments. However, research on similar efficacy of MI interventions after amputation remains scarce, and experimental studies were primarily designed to explore the effects of MI after upper-limb amputations.

Objectives: The present comparative study therefore aimed to assess the effects of MI on locomotion recovery following unilateral lower-limb amputation.

Anodal transcranial direct current stimulation does not enhance the effects of motor imagery training of a sequential finger-tapping task in young adults.

When applied over the primary motor cortex (M), anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (a-tDCS) could enhance the effects of a single motor imagery training (MIt) session on the learning of a sequential finger-tapping task (SFTT). This study aimed to investigate the effect of a-tDCS on the learning of an SFTT during multiple MIt sessions. Two groups of 16 healthy young adults participated in three consecutive MIt sessions over 3 days, followed by a retention test 1 week later.

Anodal tDCS does not enhance the learning of the sequential finger-tapping task by motor imagery practice in healthy older adults.

Background: Motor imagery practice (MIP) and anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (a-tDCS) are innovative methods with independent positive influence on motor sequence learning (MSL) in older adults.

Objective: The present study investigated the effect of MIP combined with a-tDCS over the primary motor cortex (M1) on the learning of a finger tapping sequence of the non-dominant hand in healthy older adults.

Methods: Thirty participants participated in this double-blind sham-controlled study.

The effects of body position and actual execution on motor imagery of locomotor tasks in people with a lower-limb amputation.

Motor imagery (MI) is usually facilitated when performed in a congruent body position to the imagined movement, as well as after actual execution (AE). A lower-limb amputation (LLA) results in important structural and functional changes in the sensorimotor system, which can alter MI. In this study, we investigated the effects of body position and AE on the temporal characteristics of MI in people with LLA.

Acquisition and consolidation of sequential footstep movements with physical and motor imagery practice.

Sleep-dependent performance enhancement has been consistently reported after explicit sequential finger learning, even using motor imagery practice (MIP), but whether similar sleep benefits occur after explicit sequential gross motor learning with the lower limbs has been addressed less often. Here, we investigated both acquisition and consolidation processes in an innovative sequential footstep task performed either physically or mentally. Forty-eight healthy young participants were tested before and after physical practice (PP) or MIP on the footstep task, following either a night of sleep (PPsleep and MIPsleep groups) or an equivalent daytime period (PPday and MIPday groups).

Effects of Different Ratios of Physical and Mental Practice on Postural Control Improvement.

Mental practice (MP) is a reliable alternative or complement to physical practice (PP) for the training of postural control. We address how MP should ideally be combined with PP. Participants were assigned to four experimental groups where MP/PP ratios during training varied from 0 to 100%.

Optimal Combination of Anodal Transcranial Direct Current Stimulations and Motor Imagery Interventions.

Motor imagery contributes to enhance the (re)learning of motor skills through remapping of cortical networks. Combining motor imagery with anodal transcranial direct-current stimulation (a-tDCS) over the primary motor cortex has further been shown to promote its beneficial effects on postural control. Whether motor imagery should be performed concomitantly to a-tDCS (over depolarized membrane) or consecutively (over changing neurotransmitters activity) remains to be elucidated.

Motor imagery ability of patients with lower-limb amputation: exploring the course of rehabilitation effects.

Background: Amputation of a lower-limb results in a severe decrease of functional mobility that deeply alters independent living. Motor imagery (MI) refers to the mental representation of an action without engaging its actual execution. The repetitive use of MI has been shown to contribute to promote motor recovery and phantom-limb pain alleviation.

Anodal tDCS over the primary motor cortex improves motor imagery benefits on postural control: A pilot study.

Performing everyday actions requires fine postural control, which is a major focus of functional rehabilitation programs. Among the various range of training methods likely to improve balance and postural stability, motor imagery practice (MIP) yielded promising results. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) applied over the primary motor cortex was also found to potentiate the benefits of MIP on upper-limb motor tasks.

Anodal transcranial direct current stimulation enhances the effects of motor imagery training in a finger tapping task.

Motor imagery (MI) training and anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) applied over the primary motor cortex can independently improve hand motor function. The main objective of this double-blind, sham-controlled study was to examine whether anodal tDCS over the primary motor cortex could enhance the effects of MI training on the learning of a finger tapping sequence. Thirty-six right-handed young human adults were assigned to one of three groups: (i) who performed MI training combined with anodal tDCS applied over the primary motor cortex; (ii) who performed MI training combined with sham tDCS; and (iii) who received tDCS while reading a book.

Assessing motor imagery ability in younger and older adults by combining measures of vividness, controllability and timing of motor imagery.

With the population aging, a large number of patients undergoing rehabilitation are older than 60 years. Also, since the use of motor imagery (MI) training in rehabilitation is becoming more popular, it is important to gain a better knowledge about the age-related changes in MI ability. The main goal of this study was to compare MI ability in younger and older adults as well as to propose a new procedure for testing this ability.

The comparison between motor imagery and verbal rehearsal on the learning of sequential movements.

Mental practice refers to the cognitive rehearsal of a physical activity. It is widely used by athletes to enhance their performance and its efficiency to help train motor function in people with physical disabilities is now recognized. Mental practice is generally based on motor imagery (MI), i.

The neural network of motor imagery: an ALE meta-analysis.

Motor imagery (MI) or the mental simulation of action is now increasingly being studied using neuroimaging techniques such as positron emission tomography and functional magnetic resonance imaging. The booming interest in capturing the neural underpinning of MI has provided a large amount of data which until now have never been quantitatively summarized. The aim of this activation likelihood estimation (ALE) meta-analysis was to provide a map of the brain structures involved in MI.

Motor imagery and aging.

Motor imagery (MI) is the mental simulation of an action without its actual execution. It has been successfully used through mental practice--the repetition of imagined movements--to optimize motor function either in sport or rehabilitation settings. Healthy elderly individuals facing age-related impairments in motor function could also benefit from this method of training-retraining.

Does observation of postural imbalance induce a postural reaction?

Background: Several studies bring evidence that action observation elicits contagious responses during social interactions. However automatic imitative tendencies are generally inhibited and it remains unclear in which conditions mere action observation triggers motor behaviours. In this study, we addressed the question of contagious postural responses when observing human imbalance.

Aging affects the mental simulation/planning of the "rising from the floor" sequence.

We investigated the effect of aging on the ability to mentally simulate/plan a complex sequential action of the whole body, namely "rising from the floor". Forty-four non-demented elderly people (mean age: 85.2±5.

Aging affects the mental rotation of left and right hands.

Background: Normal aging significantly influences motor and cognitive performance. Little is known about age-related changes in action simulation. Here, we investigated the influence of aging on implicit motor imagery.

Memory and action: an experimental study on normal subjects and schizophrenic patients.

Psychologists have shown that recall of sentences describing previously performed actions is enhanced compared to recall of heard-only action-phrases (enactment effect). One interpretation of this effect argues that subjects benefit from a multi-modal encoding where movement plays a major role. In line with this motor account, it is conceivable that the beneficial effect of enactment might rely, at least in part, on procedural learning, thus tapping more directly implicit memory functions.