Motor imagery and action observation as appropriate strategies for home-based rehabilitation : a mini-review focusing on improving physical function in orthopedic patients

Paravlić, Armin (author)

Dynamic stability of the knee and weakness of the extensor muscles are considered to be the most important functional limitations after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, probably due to changes at the central (cortical and corticospinal) level of motor control rather than at the peripheral level. Despite general technological advances, fewer contraindicative surgical procedures, and extensive postoperative rehabilitation, up to 65% of patients fail to return to their preinjury level of sports, and only half were able to return to competitive sport. Later, it becomes clear that current rehabilitation after knee surgery is not sufficient to address the functional limitations after ACL reconstruction even years after surgery. Therefore, new therapeutic tools targeting the central neural system, i.e., the higher centers of motor control, should be investigated and integrated into current rehabilitation practice. To improve motor performance when overt movement cannot be fully performed (e.g., due to pain, impaired motor control, and/or joint immobilization), several techniques have been developed to increase physical and mental activation without the need to perform overt movements. Among the most popular cognitive techniques used to increase physical performance are motor imagery and action observation practices. This review, which examines the available evidence, presents the underlying mechanisms of the efficacy of cognitive interventions and provides guidelines for their use at home.

• Language: English
• Keywords: motor imagery, MI, action observation, AO, virtual reality, rehabilitation, physical functions, mental simulation, mirror therapy, neuromuscular functions
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.02 - Review Article
• Organization: FŠ - Faculty of Sport
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2022
• Number of pages: 9 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 13, art. 826476
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-145339
• UDC: 615.82/.84:159.955
• ISSN on article: 1664-1078
• DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.826476
• COBISS.SI-ID: 99610627
• Publication date in RUL: 18.04.2023

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Frontiers in psychology
• Shortened title: Front. psychol.
• Publisher: Frontiers Media
• ISSN: 1664-1078
• COBISS.SI-ID: 519967513

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: motorične sposobnosti, navidezna resničnost v medicini, medicinska rehabilitacija, telesna pripravljenost, sugestija, psihologija, kognitivna terapija

Projects

• Funder: ARRS - Slovenian Research Agency
• Project number: P5-0147
• Name: Kineziologija monostrukturnih, polistrukturnih in konvencionalnih športov