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| Research article summary (published 29 Apr 2003): |
Motor imagery of phasic thumb abduction temporally and spatially modulates corticospinal excitability.
Full Abstract
OBJECTIVE:
To explore the spatial and temporal characteristics of the modulation of corticospinal and segmental excitability during actual and imagined movement of a single digit.
METHODS:
Using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), motor evoked potentials (MEPs) were evoked in abductor pollicis brevis (APB) and abductor digiti minimi (ADM) of the dominant hand in 8 subjects, while they either rested, isometrically contracted their thenar muscles in time with a 1 Hz metronome, or imagined doing so. Magnetic stimuli were delivered during the 'on' and 'off' phases of the real and imagined movements. F waves were also recorded from APB and ADM under rest and motor imagery conditions.
RESULTS:
It was found that both motor imagery and actual movement produced a muscle-specific, temporally modulated increase in corticospinal excitability during the task. The evidence of F-wave modulation was inconclusive.
CONCLUSIONS:
These results lend further support to the notion that actual movement and motor imagery modulate corticospinal excitability in a similar manner, primarily at the supraspinal level.
SIGNIFICANCE:
Motor imagery and actual movement appear to modulate motor cortex excitability with a similar degree of spatial and temporal resolution, which supports the use of motor imagery in the rehabilitation of motor function.
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Author information
Author/s: Stinear, Cathy M (CM); Byblow, Winston D (WD);
Affiliation: Human Motor Control Laboratory, Department of Sport and Exercise Science, University of Auckland, Tamaki Campus, Private Bag 92019, New Zealand. c.stinear(-atsign-)auckland.ac.nz
Journal and publication information
Publication Type: Journal Article
Journal: Clinical neurophysiology : official journal of the International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology (Clin Neurophysiol), published in Netherlands. (Language: eng)
Reference: 2003-May; vol 114 (issue 5) : pp 909-14
Dates: Created 2003/05/09; Completed 2003/07/01; Revised 2008/09/10;
PMID: 12738438, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 11/6/2008)
Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.
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