Action observation and motor imagery in performance of complex movements: Evidence from EEG and kinematics analysis

• Published in: Behavioural brain research Vol. 281; pp. 290 - 300
• Main Authors: Gonzalez-Rosa, Javier J., Natali, Fabrizio, Tettamanti, Andrea, Cursi, Marco, Velikova, Svetla, Comi, Giancarlo, Gatti, Roberto, Leocani, Letizia
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 15.03.2015
• Subjects: Action observation; Adult; Alpha desynchronization; Alpha Rhythm - physiology; Beta Rhythm - physiology; Beta synchronization; Biomechanical Phenomena - physiology; EEG; Electroencephalography; Executive Function - physiology; Female; Foot - physiology; Frontal Lobe - physiology; Hand - physiology; Humans; Imagery (Psychotherapy); Imagination - physiology; Male; Motor Activity - physiology; Motor imagery; Movement - physiology; Parietal Lobe - physiology; Photic Stimulation - methods; Psychomotor Performance - physiology; Reaction Time - physiology; Sensorimotor brain area; Young Adult; Sensorimotor brain area; Motor imagery; Action observation; Alpha desynchronization; EEG; Beta synchronization
• ISSN: 0166-4328; 1872-7549
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2014.12.016

•The role of motor imagery (MI) and action observation (AO) methods was examined.•We analyzed brain correlates underlying learning of a complex coordination task.•Different activation patterns related to EEG spectral bands were elicited by AO and MI.•AO showed a more efficient activation of cortical resources during task execution.•AO may be more effective than MI in promoting early motor learning. Motor imagery (MI) and action observation (AO) are considered effective cognitive tools for motor learning, but little work directly compared their cortical activation correlate in relation with subsequent performance. We compared AO and MI in promoting early learning of a complex four-limb, hand–foot coordination task, using electroencephalographic (EEG) and kinematic analysis. Thirty healthy subjects were randomly assigned into three groups to perform a training period in which AO watched a video of the task, MI had to imagine it, and Control (C) was involved in a distracting computation task. Subjects were then asked to actually perform the motor task with kinematic measurement of error time with respect to the correct motor performance. EEG was recorded during baseline, training and task execution, with task-related power (TRPow) calculation for sensorimotor (alpha and beta) rhythms reactive with respect to rest. During training, the AO group had a stronger alpha desynchronization than the MI and C over frontocentral and bilateral parietal areas. However, during task execution, AO group had greater beta synchronization over bilateral parietal regions than MI and C groups. This beta synchrony furthermore demonstrated the strongest association with kinematic errors, which was also significantly lower in AO than in MI. These data suggest that sensorimotor activation elicited by action observation enhanced motor learning according to motor performance, corresponding to a more efficient activation of cortical resources during task execution. Action observation may be more effective than motor imagery in promoting early learning of a new complex coordination task.