Abstract
[Purpose] Recently, the task of imagining a certain motion has begun to be applied to rehabilitation. The recovery of subject's walking function is a major purpose, but it is controversial whether the higher motor-related area becomes active during walking imaging. We revealed by functional imaging that the higher motor-related area becomes active in rhetoric to image walking. [Subjects] The subjects were 12 healthy adults (2 men and 10 women, mean age 24.1 ± 5.6 years). [Methods] The subjects cerebral blood flow (CBF) was measured during imagining walking under conditions A and B. In condition A, the subjects were directed to imagine walking. In condition B, they were directed to imagine walking thinking that their heels sink into a soft sandy beach. [Results] CBF of the left dorsal premotor area, both supplementary motor areas and the left primary motor area significantly increased in condition B (p>0.05). [Conclusion] The directions for walking imaging by rhetoric activate the motor-related area.
