Upper limb training combining motor imagery and kinesthetic illusion

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K13094
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Rehabilitation science/Welfare engineering
• Research Institution: Saitama Prefectural University
• Principal Investigator: SUZUKI Takako 埼玉県立大学, 保健医療福祉学部, 助教 (60549343)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 運動学習

Outline of Final Research Achievements

For accurate human movement, proprioceptive and visual feedback informations have to be integrated and transformed into an appropriate motor command. Recent studies suggest that observation of movement activates the corticospinal tract related to the movement and that could be beneficial in the rehabilitation. In addition, the proprioceptive inputs by tendon vibration lead to corticospinal activities related to the kinesthetic illusion of joint movement. This study investigated the corticospinal excitability during tasks involving multisensory difference between proprioceptive and visual inputs. We found that proprioceptive and visual information differentially altered the corticospinal excitability of reciprocal muscles. To clarify the relation between corticospinal excitability related to multisensory information and motor learning, future studies should consider performing examinations using transcranial magnetic stimulation, peripheral nerve stimulation, and brain imaging methods.

Free Research Field

リハビリテーション

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

リハビリテーションの方法は日々進歩しているが，実施に苦痛を伴わない運動イメージや運動錯覚は，新たなリハビリテーションの方法としての可能性を含んでいる．本研究によって得られた，大脳皮質の興奮性が刺激のコントロールにより選択的に変化させられる可能性は，今後のリハビリテーションの方法を考えていく上での基礎的で有用な情報の一つではないかと考える．