Effect of motor imagery on the spinal motor neurons excitability and autonomic nervous activity

Abstract

Motor imagery is considered to have potential as a tool for the improvement of motor function in physical therapy. Numerous studies have demonstrated that motor imagery can facilitate the excitability of the central nervous system. However, previous research has not established the changes in the excitability of spinal motor neurons during motor imagery. In this study, we investigated the changes in the excitability of spinal motor neurons during motor imagery under various imagined muscle contraction strengths using the F-wave. Our results suggest that motor imagery can facilitate the excitability of spinal motor neurons; however, this excitability does not vary with the imagined muscle contraction strengths. In addition, we also investigated the autonomic nervous system during motor imagery under different imagined muscle contraction strengths. Motor imagery increased cardiac sympathetic nerve activity, but the difference in the imagined muscle contraction strengths did not influence the changes in cardiac sympathetic nerve activity.