The effect of leisure activity golf practice on motor imagery: an fMRI study in middle adulthood
Much is known about practice-induced plasticity of the motor system. But it is not clear whether the activity in the motor network induced by mental motor imagery is influenced by actually practicing the imagined motor tasks.In a longitudinal study design with two measurement time-points, functional...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2012-03-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Human Neuroscience |
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| Online Access: | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fnhum.2012.00067/full |
| _version_ | 1818505087579848704 |
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| author | Ladina eBezzola Ladina eBezzola Susan eMérillat Lutz eJäncke Lutz eJäncke |
| author_facet | Ladina eBezzola Ladina eBezzola Susan eMérillat Lutz eJäncke Lutz eJäncke |
| author_sort | Ladina eBezzola |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Much is known about practice-induced plasticity of the motor system. But it is not clear whether the activity in the motor network induced by mental motor imagery is influenced by actually practicing the imagined motor tasks.In a longitudinal study design with two measurement time-points, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to explore dynamic changes in the brain in response to training of highly complex movements by participants of 40 to 60 years of age. The investigated motor learning task entailed golf training practiced by novices as leisure activity. Additionally, data from an age and sex-matched control group without golf training was collected.Results show increased hemodynamic responses during mental rehearsal of a golf swing in non-primary cortical motor areas, sub-cortical motor areas, and parietal regions of the novice golfers and the control subjects. This result complements previous mental imagery research that shows involvement of motor areas during mental rehearsal of a complex movement, especially in subjects with low skill level. More importantly, changes were only found between the two measurement time-points in the golf novice group with a decrease in hemodynamic responses in non-primary motor areas after the 40 hours of golf practice. Thus, the results indicate that a complex physical leisure activity induces functional neuroplasticity in the seldom studied population of middle-aged adults, and that this effect is evident during mental rehearsal of the practiced task. This finding supports the idea that (a) a skill improvement is associated with a modified activation pattern in the associated neuronal network that can be identified during mental rehearsal of the practiced task, and that (b) a strict training protocol is not necessary to induce functional neuroplasticity. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T21:45:58Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9f856cd2ba4b4992b741d4e6585424ee |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1662-5161 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T21:45:58Z |
| publishDate | 2012-03-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Human Neuroscience |
| spelling | doaj.art-9f856cd2ba4b4992b741d4e6585424ee2022-12-22T01:32:23ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Human Neuroscience1662-51612012-03-01610.3389/fnhum.2012.0006721281The effect of leisure activity golf practice on motor imagery: an fMRI study in middle adulthoodLadina eBezzola0Ladina eBezzola1Susan eMérillat2Lutz eJäncke3Lutz eJäncke4University of ZurichUniversity of ZurichUniversity of ZurichUniversity of ZurichUniversity of ZurichMuch is known about practice-induced plasticity of the motor system. But it is not clear whether the activity in the motor network induced by mental motor imagery is influenced by actually practicing the imagined motor tasks.In a longitudinal study design with two measurement time-points, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to explore dynamic changes in the brain in response to training of highly complex movements by participants of 40 to 60 years of age. The investigated motor learning task entailed golf training practiced by novices as leisure activity. Additionally, data from an age and sex-matched control group without golf training was collected.Results show increased hemodynamic responses during mental rehearsal of a golf swing in non-primary cortical motor areas, sub-cortical motor areas, and parietal regions of the novice golfers and the control subjects. This result complements previous mental imagery research that shows involvement of motor areas during mental rehearsal of a complex movement, especially in subjects with low skill level. More importantly, changes were only found between the two measurement time-points in the golf novice group with a decrease in hemodynamic responses in non-primary motor areas after the 40 hours of golf practice. Thus, the results indicate that a complex physical leisure activity induces functional neuroplasticity in the seldom studied population of middle-aged adults, and that this effect is evident during mental rehearsal of the practiced task. This finding supports the idea that (a) a skill improvement is associated with a modified activation pattern in the associated neuronal network that can be identified during mental rehearsal of the practiced task, and that (b) a strict training protocol is not necessary to induce functional neuroplasticity.http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fnhum.2012.00067/fullmotor learningMotor Imageryfunctional neuroplasticitymiddle adulthood |
| spellingShingle | Ladina eBezzola Ladina eBezzola Susan eMérillat Lutz eJäncke Lutz eJäncke The effect of leisure activity golf practice on motor imagery: an fMRI study in middle adulthood Frontiers in Human Neuroscience motor learning Motor Imagery functional neuroplasticity middle adulthood |
| title | The effect of leisure activity golf practice on motor imagery: an fMRI study in middle adulthood |
| title_full | The effect of leisure activity golf practice on motor imagery: an fMRI study in middle adulthood |
| title_fullStr | The effect of leisure activity golf practice on motor imagery: an fMRI study in middle adulthood |
| title_full_unstemmed | The effect of leisure activity golf practice on motor imagery: an fMRI study in middle adulthood |
| title_short | The effect of leisure activity golf practice on motor imagery: an fMRI study in middle adulthood |
| title_sort | effect of leisure activity golf practice on motor imagery an fmri study in middle adulthood |
| topic | motor learning Motor Imagery functional neuroplasticity middle adulthood |
| url | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fnhum.2012.00067/full |
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