title: Motor imagery of the unaffected hand in children with spastic hemiplegia.
abstract: This study examined the ability of children with hemiplegia to perform motor imagery of their unaffected hand. Children (8-12 years) formed three groups--R-HEMI: right-sided hemiplegia, n = 21; L-HEMI: left-sided hemiplegia, n = 19; and Comparisons, n = 21. We expected no group differences on a simple imagined grasping task, but the hemiplegia groups to perform atypically on an imagined pointing task. Results showed no group differences on the grasping task, while only the L-HEMI group performed atypically on the pointing task-- the functional level of the children played a likely role in this finding. Children with hemiplegia can engage in motor imagery, although task complexity and functional level may have an impact.
authors.affiliation: aInstitute of Sport, Exercise and Active Living and School of Sport and Exercise Science, Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia. jacqueline.williams@vu.edu.au
authors.forename: Jacqueline
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Vicki
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: Susan M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Reid
authors.forename: Dinah S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Reddihough
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology*; D006225:Hand; D018737:Hand Strength / Q000502:physiology; D006429:Hemiplegia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D007092:Imagination / Q000502:physiology*; D007360:Intelligence; D008297:Male; D009048:Motor Skills / Q000502:physiology*; D009068:Movement; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests