Neurophysiological study towards development of the effective mental practice

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Mental practice might be a powerful therapeutic tool in neurorehabilitation. However, in effective mental practice, imagining the specific task vividly is indispensable. Nevertheless, kinesthetic imagery is not easy. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between the extent of corticospinal excitability changes by using motor evoked potentials (MEPs) and the vividness of motor imagery in different imagery conditions. The MEP amplitude of both muscles was larger for the conditions with sensory information than for the condition without sensory information. The VAS score was higher for the conditions with sensory information (VIS, AUD, and VIS+AUD) than for the condition without sensory information. Therefore, the visual and auditory information enhances the vividness of motor imagery and facilitates corticospinal excitability. These findings open new possibilities for enhancing the mental aspects of neurorehabilitation.