Motor imagery helps updating internal models during microgravity exposure

Abstract

Skilled movements result from a mixture of feedforward and feedback mechanisms conceptualized by internal models. These mechanisms subserve both motor execution and motor imagery. Current research suggests that imagery allows updating feedforward mechanisms, leading to better performance in familiar contexts. Does this still hold in radically new contexts? Here, we test this ability by asking participants to imagine swinging arm movements around shoulder in normal gravity condition and in microgravity in which studies showed that movements slow down. We timed several cycles of actual and imagined arm pendular movements in three groups of subjects during parabolic flight campaign. The first, control, group remained on the ground. The second group was exposed to microgravity but did not imagine movements inflight. The third group was exposed to microgravity and imagined movements inflight. All groups performed and imagined the movements before and after the flight. We predicted that a mere exposure to microgravity would induce changes in imagined movement duration. We found this held true for the group who imagined the movements, suggesting an update of internal representations of gravity. However, we did not find a similar effect in the group exposed to microgravity despite the fact participants lived the same gravitational variations as the first group. Overall, these results suggest that motor imagery contributes to update internal representations of movement in unfamiliar environments, while a mere exposure proved to be insufficient.

Repetitive Peripheral Magnetic Stimulation Combined with Motor Imagery Changes Resting-State EEG Activity: A Randomized Controlled Trial

“…In addition, ACC is involved in the construction and updating of internal models [ 51 ]. Internal model updating is important in MI for predicting the sensations induced by imagined movements [ 52 , 53 ]. In this study, applying rPMS to MI increased the ACC activity.…”

Motor imagery for paediatric neurorehabilitation: how much do we know? Perspectives from a systematic review

“…Upon these bases, it was obvious that imagery training could appropriately contribute, even more so, in enhancing or resuming the motor network in some pathological conditions of the nervous system of pediatric onset ( Rannaud Monany et al, 2022 ).…”

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