A mental route to motor learning: Improving trajectorial kinematics through imagery training

Motor imagery effectiveness for mirror reversed movements

“…Accordingly, the participants subjected to PP and MI training took less time to perform the pursuing tracking task after practice. These results are consistent with those of the motor learning literature, which have extensively demonstrated the effectiveness of MI in improving the spatiotemporal and dynamic control of motor performance (Gentili, Papaxanthis, & Pozzo, 2006;Papadelis et al, 2007;Yágüez, Nagel, Hoffman, Canavan, Wist, & Hömberg, 1998;Debarnot, Creveaux, Collet, Doyon, & Guillot, 2009;Debarnot, Creveaux, Collet, Gemignani, Massarelli, Doyon, & Guillot, 2009). …”

Mental imaging of motor activity in humans

“…The fact that the motor pathways are globally activated during motor imagery represents a rationale for rehearsing effects observed during motor learning [35,36] and opens new possibilities for rehabilitating patients with motor impairments.…”

Assessing mental representation of mastoidectomy by a computer-based drawing tool

“…The integration of these movements is indispensable for an efficient and secure mastoidectomy [3][4][5]. Teaching this technique by audiovisual tools (slideshows and films) contributes in elaborating or correcting a mental representation of the surgical act [6]; however, repeated training on anatomic specimens has been reported to be fundamental to mastering the technique [3,4,7]. In fact, temporal bone dissection allows trainees to contextualize the theoretical knowledge, to have a realistic proprioceptive feedback from the contact of the instruments with the tissues, to encounter anatomic variations, and to elicit a trainee's adaptation to different situations [3].…”