Covert neuromuscular activity of the dominant forearm during visualization of a motor task.
This study evaluated specific covert neuromuscular activity during a silent visualization exercise. 30 subjects participated in a dual-baseline single-subject procedure. The experimental test condition required the subjects to visualize themselves squeezing a hand-size rubber ball as tightly as possible for 1 min. In the comparison test condition, subjects were asked to imagine the 'sun setting on the horizon' for 1 min. Visualization of the motor task brought about significant (p <.05) increases in dominant forearm EMG (microV) and heart-rate activity (bpm) from rest to the experimental test condition. Nondominant forearm activity showed no significant changes from rest to either test condition, and heart-rate activity (bpm) showed no significant change from rest to the comparison visualization task.
School of Psychology, California Institute for Human Science, Encinitas 92024, USA.
J R
JR
Livesay
M R
MR
Samaras
D000328:Adult; D004576:Electromyography; D005260:Female; D005542:Forearm / Q000294:innervation / Q000502:physiology*; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007092:Imagination / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000502:physiology; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000294:innervation* / Q000502:physiology; D009469:Neuromuscular Junction / Q000502:physiology*