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

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).

Neural and Behavioral Outcomes Differ Following Equivalent Bouts of Motor Imagery or Physical Practice.

Despite its reported effectiveness for the acquisition of motor skills, we know little about how motor imagery (MI)-based brain activation and performance evolves when MI (the imagined performance of a motor task) is used to learn a complex motor skill compared to physical practice (PP). The current study examined changes in MI-related brain activity and performance driven by an equivalent bout of MI- or PP-based training. Participants engaged in 5 days of either MI or PP of a dart-throwing task.