Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran (Y.M.T., S.M., N.Z., V.S.); and Department of Psychology, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran (M.A.N.).
J Neurol Phys Ther. 2014 Apr;38(2):111-8. doi: 10.1097/NPT.0000000000000033.
The effectiveness of motor imagery (MI) as an adjunct to physical rehabilitation has previously been shown. Motor imagery ability can be affected by neurologic disorders that affect motor and cognitive function. This study was designed to assess MI ability in persons with mildly disabling relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) based on the functional and cognitive dysfunctions.
Twenty-two participants with RRMS and 23 age-, gender-, and education-matched comparison subjects were evaluated by a battery of MI tasks, including a kinesthetic and visual imagery questionnaire, a mental hand rotation task, and a visual guided pointing task.
There was no significant difference in MI vividness between the participants with MS and the comparison group, but the accuracy and temporal correspondence of MI in the participants with MS differed significantly from those in the comparison group. Depression scores were significantly higher in participants with MS (P < 0.001), and depression was significantly correlated with disability (r = 0.4; P < 0.05). The correlation between accuracy of MI in the participants with MS and their cognitive ability was significant (r = 0.57; P < 0.05). The MI duration of participants with MS was significantly correlated with their disability (r = 0.59; P < 0.05) and their cognitive ability (r = -0.38; P = 0.009).
The preservation of MI ability was observed in participants with RRMS; however, abnormalities in accuracy and temporal aspects of MI were observed even in the participants with mild disease. Abnormalities in temporal aspects and accuracy of MI were related to disability and cognitive ability, respectively. In participants with MS, depression should be considered as a confounding factor for the MI task results.
Our finding could be considered in the application of MI during the rehabilitation of persons with MS.
运动想象（MI）作为物理康复的辅助手段已被证明具有有效性。运动想象能力可能会受到影响运动和认知功能的神经障碍的影响。本研究旨在根据功能和认知障碍评估轻度致残的复发缓解型多发性硬化症（RRMS）患者的 MI 能力。
通过一系列 MI 任务评估 22 名 RRMS 患者和 23 名年龄、性别和教育程度匹配的对照组参与者，包括运动和视觉想象问卷、心理手旋转任务和视觉引导指向任务。
MS 患者和对照组之间的 MI 生动度没有显著差异，但 MS 患者的 MI 准确性和时间对应性与对照组有显著差异。MS 患者的抑郁评分明显更高（P < 0.001），抑郁与残疾显著相关（r = 0.4；P < 0.05）。MS 患者 MI 准确性与认知能力之间的相关性显著（r = 0.57；P < 0.05）。MS 患者 MI 持续时间与残疾（r = 0.59；P < 0.05）和认知能力（r = -0.38；P = 0.009）显著相关。
RRMS 患者保留了 MI 能力；然而，即使在轻度疾病患者中，也观察到 MI 的准确性和时间方面的异常。MI 的时间方面和准确性异常分别与残疾和认知能力有关。在 MS 患者中，抑郁应被视为 MI 任务结果的混杂因素。
我们的发现可在 MS 患者康复期间应用 MI 时考虑。
