title: On the content of sensorimotor representations after actual and motor imagery practice.
abstract: We examined the similarities between actual and motor imagery practice with regard to the development of sensorimotor representations. Participants had to reproduce knee joint positions (15 or 150 trials) in visuo-proprioceptive or proprioceptive conditions (Experiment 1) or in visual, proprioceptive or visuo-proprioceptive imagery conditions (Experiment 2), before being transferred in a proprioceptive condition. A familiarization session in a proprioceptive condition was performed before imagery practice only (Experiment 2). Results showed that the effect of vision withdrawal varied according to actual or motor imagery practice: performance accuracy in transfer decreased after actual visuo-proprioceptive practice while it increased after visuo-proprioceptive imagery practice. These results suggest that different movement representations can be developed following actual or imagery practice. They also suggest that information from previous experience could be stored in a sensorimotor memory and could be fundamental for the efficiency of motor imagery practice.
authors.affiliation: CeRCA, CNRS UMR 6234, Poitiers, France.
authors.forename: Lucette
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Toussaint
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Robin
authors.forename: Yannick
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Blandin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D007092:Imagination; D007719:Knee Joint; D007721:Knowledge of Results, Psychological; D011214:Practice, Psychological; D011434:Proprioception; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D014163:Transfer, Psychology; D014796:Visual Perception