Since centuries, scientists, clinicians and philosophers have been debating about the interactions between the body and the mind. Researches and advances in neurophysiology over the last decades have challenged many principles and theories, mainly based on empirical observations, generally well accepted in clinical practice. These new findings, achieved through functional "magnetic resonance imaging", awake brain surgery and allow new techniques and opportunities in physical rehabilitation. More than ever the body and the brain must be considered and treated as a functional entity, the distinction between body and soul developed by Platon should no longer be applied. The development of new technologies, in particular the virtual reality, lends itself perfectly to this global approach. The aim of this article is to present how a purely cognitive training can have beneficial effects on the body and the motor performances in clinics.
© 2017 médecine/sciences – Inserm.