Wajda Douglas A, Zanotto Tobia, Sosnoff Jacob J
Department of Health and Human Performance, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH 44115, USA.
Department of Physical Therapy, Rehabilitation Science, and Athletic Training, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA.
Brain Sci. 2021 Aug 26;11(9):1131. doi: 10.3390/brainsci11091131.
Motor imagery represents the ability to simulate anticipated movements mentally prior to their actual execution and has been proposed as a tool to assess both individuals' perception of task difficulty as well as their perception of their own abilities. People with multiple sclerosis (pwMS) often present with motor and cognitive dysfunction, which may negatively affect motor imagery. In this cross-sectional study, we explored differences in motor imagery of walking performance between pwMS ( = 20, age = 57.1 (SD = 8.6) years, 55% female) and age- and sex-matched healthy controls ( = 20, age = 58.1 (SD = 7.0) years, 60% female). Participants underwent mental chronometry assessments, a subset of motor imagery, which evaluated the difference between imagined and actual walking times across four walking tasks of increasing difficulty (i.e., large/narrow-width walkway with/without obstacles). Raw and absolute mental chronometry (A-MC) measures were recorded in single- (ST) and dual-task (DT) conditions. In ST conditions, pwMS had higher A-MC scores across all walking conditions ( ≤ 0.031, η ≥ 0.119), indicating lower motor imagery ability compared to healthy controls. During DT, all participants tended to underestimate their walking ability (3.38 ± 6.72 to 5.63 ± 9.17 s). However, after physical practice, pwMS were less able to adjust their imagined walking performance compared to healthy controls. In pwMS, A-MC scores were correlated with measures of balance confidence (ρ = -0.629, < 0.01) and the self-reported expanded disability status scale (ρ = 0.747, < 0.01). While the current study revealed that pwMS have lower motor imagery of walking performance compared to healthy individuals, further work is necessary to examine how the disassociation between mental chronometry and actual performance relates to quality of life and well-being.
运动想象代表了在实际执行动作之前在脑海中模拟预期动作的能力，并且已被提议作为一种工具，用于评估个体对任务难度的感知以及对自身能力的感知。多发性硬化症患者（pwMS）常出现运动和认知功能障碍，这可能会对运动想象产生负面影响。在这项横断面研究中，我们探讨了pwMS患者（n = 20，年龄 = 57.1（标准差 = 8.6）岁，55%为女性）与年龄和性别匹配的健康对照者（n = 20，年龄 = 58.1（标准差 = 7.0）岁，60%为女性）在步行表现的运动想象方面的差异。参与者接受了心理计时评估，这是运动想象的一个子集，评估了在四个难度逐渐增加的步行任务（即有/无障碍物的宽/窄通道行走）中想象和实际步行时间的差异。在单任务（ST）和双任务（DT）条件下记录原始和绝对心理计时（A-MC）测量值。在ST条件下，pwMS在所有步行条件下的A-MC得分都更高（p≤0.031，η≥0.119），表明与健康对照者相比，其运动想象能力较低。在DT期间，所有参与者都倾向于低估自己的步行能力（从3.38±6.72秒到5.63±9.17秒）。然而，经过身体练习后，与健康对照者相比，pwMS更难以调整他们想象中的步行表现。在pwMS中，A-MC得分与平衡信心测量值（ρ = -0.629，p < 0.01）和自我报告的扩展残疾状态量表（ρ = 0.747，p < 0.01）相关。虽然目前的研究表明，与健康个体相比，pwMS在步行表现方面的运动想象较低，但有必要进一步研究心理计时与实际表现之间的脱节如何与生活质量和幸福感相关。
