Impact of Neurologic Deficits on Motor Imagery: A Systematic Review of Clinical Evaluations

Abstract

Motor imagery (MI, the mental representation of an action without engaging in its actual execution) is a therapeutically relevant technique to promote motor recovery after neurologic disorders. MI shares common neural and psychological bases with physical practice. Interestingly, both acute and progressive neurologic disorders impact brain motor networks, hence potentially eliciting changes in MI capacities. How experimental neuroscientists and medical practitioners should assess and take into account these changes in order to design fruitful interventions is largely unresolved. Understanding how the psychometric, behavioral and neurophysiological correlates of MI are impacted by neurologic disorders is required. To address this brain-behavior issue, we conducted a systematic review of MI data in stroke, Parkinson's disease, spinal cord injury, and amputee participants. MI evaluation methods are presented. Redundant MI profiles, primarily based on psychometric and behavioral evaluations, emerged in each clinical population. When present, changes in the psychometric and behavioral correlates of MI were highly congruent with the corresponding motor impairments. Neurophysiological recordings yielded specific changes in cerebral activations during MI, which mirrored structural and functional reorganizations due to neuroplasticity. In this view, MI capacities may not be deteriorated per se by neurologic diseases resulting in chronic motor incapacities, but adjusted to the current state of the motor system. Literature-driven orientations for future clinical research are provided.

Influence of motor imagery training on gait rehabilitation in sub-acute stroke: A randomized controlled trial

“…It is not known whether being able to perform MI tasks is necessary to gain benefit from it in clinical practice (8,9). Moreover, Confalonieri et al report that motor imagery stimulates sensorimotor and pre-motor areas even in poor imagers with stroke (25).…”

“…Patients with impaired motor imagery (MI) ability should be identified as being suitable for imagery training; however, it is not known whether a high level of MI ability is necessary for therapy response before commencing MI therapy (8). unrelated to cerebral damage, there are individual differences in motor imagery ability.…”

Risk of Suicide Attempt in Poststroke Patients: A Population‐Based Cohort Study

“…Stroke usually causes disability or restricts daily activities, thereby resulting in long‐term reduction in quality of life for those who have had one. Stroke is listed as the most common cause of disability in adults worldwide 1, 2, 3. In Western developed countries, poststroke patients might exhibit high intolerance of their disability, and several studies have revealed notably higher rates of suicide ideation, suicide attempts, and completed suicides in poststroke patients than in the general population 4, 5, 6.…”

Neuroscience-Based Rehabilitation for Stroke Patients

“…In addition, the corticospinal tract is excited through its conn e c t i o nw i t hM I .D u r i n gt r a n s c r a n i a lm a g n e t i c stimulation, the threshold of motor-evoked potentials (MEP) and intracortical facilitation decrease, and a latent time reduction and amplitude increment are observed. In the neurotransmission test, a spinal H-reflex amplitude increment and increase in the F-wave frequency rate have been reported [50]. Electroencephalography (EEG) shows that the formation of MI, like ME, reduces the α-wave (Mu-rhythm) amplitude in the SMA (Refer to Section Interventions based on extraneous bottom-up processes), which is called event-related desynchronization (ERD).…”

“…MI is also thought to reflect a suppression process so that the actual movement is not performed The SMC has been reported to inhibit M1 activation during MI [48,56], which then causes ME to cease [57]. Thus, the different reports on activation can be explained by the finding that the information that is processed during MI is supposed to be inhibited so that ME does not occur, which has sometimes been conveyed to M1 Through the contamination of an image by muscle activity [50].…”