Authors:
Cengiz B; Boran HE. Institution Cengiz,Bulent. Motor Control Laboratory, The Clinical Neur ophysiology Division of the Department of Neurology, Gazi University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey. Electronic address: bcengiz@gazi.edu.tr . Boran,H Evren. Motor Control Laboratory, The Clinical Neur ophysiology Division of the Department of Neurology, Gazi University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
Title:
The role of the cerebellum in motor imagery.
Source:
Neuroscience Letters. 617:156-9, 2016 Mar 23.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Although it is well documented that the cerebellum plays a role in motor imagery (MI), its exact role in MI is still obscu re. Since motor imagery and execution of movement share common pathways, and the cerebellum has an inhibitory effect on the motor cortex, we sp eculated that the cerebellum also has an inhibitory role on MI. METHODS: To test this hypothesis, 12 healthy individuals aged 27-47 years (mean age 33.3 years) were enrolled in the study. Subjects were as ked to imagine two different tasks, one complex (MI-c) and one simple (MI- s) motor task. The intensity of anodal cerebellar transcranial di rect current stimulation (ctDCS) was set at 2 mA for 20 min. Sham ctDCS cons isted of 30s current stimulation.
RESULTS: MI-s resulted in significantly increased log MEP amplit ude during MI, compared with control MEP amplitude,(p=0.000). The inc rease in log MEP amplitude during MI disappeared after anodal ctDCS. Before sham ct DCS, both MI-s and MI-c resulted in log MEP amplitude increases (p =0.000). This facilitator effect of both MI-c and MI-s on log MEP amplitude was also persistent after sham ctDCS (p=0.000).
CONCLUSIONS: The study demonstrates for the first time that the cer ebellum has an inhibitory effect on MI.
SIGNIFICANCE: Combining ctDCS with MI significantly modulat es corticomotor excitability.Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
Publication Type: Journal Article.
