Effect of motor imagery on motor dysfunction - biofeedback of cerebral cortical activity

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This study revealed using Parkinson’s patients that motor imagery improved the reaction time in response to a metal rotation task of a hand. In order to determine the cerebral cortical areas in relation to motor imagery, the responses in the oxygenated hemoglobin concentration of various cortical regions were mapped during voluntary arm cranking and during motor imagery of the exercise using near infrared spectroscopy in humans. We found that activity of the prefrontal cortex did not increase during voluntary arm-cranking exercise but significantly increased during motor imagery of the exercise, whereas activity of the temporal motor cortical areas increased during voluntary arm-cranking exercise but not during motor imagery of the exercise. Therefore it is suggested that motor imagery can be visualized by the activity of the prefrontal motor cortex, whose feedback may be useful to strengthen the effects of motor imagery treatment on motor dysfunctions in rehabilitation.