PMID- 25538598
OWN - NLM
STAT- PubMed-not-MEDLINE
DCOM- 20141224
LR  - 20220331
IS  - 1662-5161 (Print)
IS  - 1662-5161 (Electronic)
IS  - 1662-5161 (Linking)
VI  - 8
DP  - 2014
TI  - Non-physical practice improves task performance in an unstable, perturbed 
      environment: motor imagery and observational balance training.
PG  - 972
LID - 10.3389/fnhum.2014.00972 [doi]
LID - 972
AB  - For consciously performed motor tasks executed in a defined and constant way, 
      both motor imagery (MI) and action observation (AO) have been shown to promote 
      motor learning. It is not known whether these forms of non-physical training also 
      improve motor actions when these actions have to be variably applied in an 
      unstable and unpredictable environment. The present study therefore investigated 
      the influence of MI balance training (MI_BT) and a balance training combining AO 
      and MI (AO+MI_BT) on postural control of undisturbed and disturbed upright stance 
      on unstable ground. As spinal reflex excitability after classical (i.e., 
      physical) balance training (BT) is generally decreased, we tested whether 
      non-physical BT also has an impact on spinal reflex circuits. Thirty-six 
      participants were randomly allocated into an MI_BT group, in which participants 
      imagined postural exercises, an AO+MI_BT group, in which participants observed 
      videos of other people performing balance exercises and imagined being the person 
      in the video, and a non-active control group (CON). Before and after 4 weeks of 
      non-physical training, balance performance was assessed on a free-moving platform 
      during stance without perturbation and during perturbed stance. Soleus H-reflexes 
      were recorded during stable and unstable stance. The post-measurement revealed 
      significantly decreased postural sway during undisturbed and disturbed stance 
      after both MI_BT and AO+MI_BT. Spinal reflex excitability remained unchanged. 
      This is the first study showing that non-physical training (MI_BT and AO+MI_BT) 
      not only promotes motor learning of "rigid" postural tasks but also improves 
      performance of highly variable and unpredictable balance actions. These findings 
      may be relevant to improve postural control and thus reduce the risk of falls in 
      temporarily immobilized patients.
FAU - Taube, Wolfgang
AU  - Taube W
AD  - Department of Medicine, Movement and Sport Science, University of Fribourg 
      Fribourg, Switzerland.
FAU - Lorch, Michael
AU  - Lorch M
AD  - Department of Sport Science, University of Freiburg Freiburg, Germany.
FAU - Zeiter, Sibylle
AU  - Zeiter S
AD  - Department of Medicine, Human Movement and Sport Sciences, Universities of Geneva 
      and Lausanne Geneva, Switzerland.
FAU - Keller, Martin
AU  - Keller M
AD  - Department of Medicine, Movement and Sport Science, University of Fribourg 
      Fribourg, Switzerland.
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
DEP - 20141204
PL  - Switzerland
TA  - Front Hum Neurosci
JT  - Frontiers in human neuroscience
JID - 101477954
PMC - PMC4255492
OTO - NOTNLM
OT  - balance control
OT  - mental training
OT  - motor imagery learning
OT  - observational learning
OT  - posture control
EDAT- 2014/12/30 06:00
MHDA- 2014/12/30 06:01
PMCR- 2014/01/01
CRDT- 2014/12/25 06:00
PHST- 2014/07/22 00:00 [received]
PHST- 2014/11/14 00:00 [accepted]
PHST- 2014/12/25 06:00 [entrez]
PHST- 2014/12/30 06:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2014/12/30 06:01 [medline]
PHST- 2014/01/01 00:00 [pmc-release]
AID - 10.3389/fnhum.2014.00972 [doi]
PST - epublish
SO  - Front Hum Neurosci. 2014 Dec 4;8:972. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2014.00972. eCollection 
      2014.