Task-independent Electrophysiological Correlates of Motor Imagery Ability from Kinaesthetic and Visual Perspectives. (1st September 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Menicucci, Danilo; Di Gruttola, Francesco; Cesari, Valentina; Gemignani, Angelo; Manzoni, Diego; Sebastiani, Laura
• Is Part Of: Neuroscience. Volume 443(2020)
• Page Start: 176
• Page End: 187
• Publication Date: 2020-09-01
• Subjects: FFT Fast Fourier Transform -- GC Granger Causality -- MEPs motor evoked potentials -- MI motor imagery -- MIQ-3 Motor Imagery Questionnaire-3 -- TMS transcranial magnetic stimulation; motor imagery ability -- whole-body movements -- kinaesthetic and visual perspectives -- EEG desynchronization -- granger causality -- information flow; Neurochemistry -- Periodicals; Neurophysiology -- Periodicals; Neurology -- Periodicals; Neurochimie -- Périodiques; Neurophysiologie -- Périodiques; Neurochemistry; Neurophysiology; Electronic journals; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 612.8
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.07.038
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0306-4522

Abstract

Highlights: Electrophysiological correlates of the motor imagery ability were studied. EEG recordings were acquired during motor imagery of complex however familiar movements. Visual imagery ability and frontal alfa/parietal beta power are associated. Kinaesthetic imagery ability and frontal theta are associated. Kinaesthetic imagery ability and posterior to anterior information flow are associated. Abstract: Motor imagery (MI) ability is highly subjective, as indicated by the individual scores of the MIQ-3 questionnaire, and poor imagers compensate for the difficulty in performing MI with larger cerebral activations, as demonstrated by MI studies involving hands/limbs. In order to identify general, task-independent MI ability correlates, 16 volunteers were stratified with MIQ-3. The scores in the kinaesthetic (K) and 1st-person visual (V) perspectives were associated with EEG patterns obtained during K-MI and V-MI of the same complex MIQ-3 movements during these MI tasks (Spearman's correlation, significance at <0.05, SnPM corrected). EEG measures were relative to rest (relaxation, closed eyes), and based on six electrode clusters both for band spectral content and connectivity (Granger causality). Lower K-MI ability was associated with greater theta decreases during tasks in fronto-central clusters and greater inward information flow to prefrontal clusters for theta, high alpha and beta bands. On the other hand, power band relative decreases were associated with V-MI ability in fronto-central clusters for low alpha and left fronto-central and both centro-parietal clusters for beta bands. The results thus suggest different computational mechanisms for MI-V and MI-K. The association between low alpha/beta desynchronization and V-MIQ scores and between theta changes and K-MIQ scores suggest a cognitive effort with greater cerebral activation in participants with lower V-MI ability. The association between information flow to prefrontal hub and K-MI ability suggest the need for a continuous update of information to support MI-related executive functions in subjects with poor K-MI ability.