Motor Imagery Combined With Physical Training Improves Response Inhibition in the Stop Signal Task

Sung Min Son; Seong Ho Yun; Jung Won Kwon

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.905579

Motor Imagery Combined With Physical Training Improves Response Inhibition in the Stop Signal Task

Front Psychol. 2022 Jun 20:13:905579. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.905579. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Sung Min Son¹, Seong Ho Yun², Jung Won Kwon³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Physical Therapy, College of Health Science, Cheongju University, Cheongju, South Korea.
² Department of Public Health Sciences, Graduate School, Dankook University, Cheonan, South Korea.
³ Department of Physical Therapy, College of Health and Welfare Sciences, Cheonan, South Korea.

Abstract

Background: Motor imagery training has a similar effect to that of physical training on motor performance. The objective of this study was to investigate the short-term effectiveness of motor imagery training on response inhibition using the stop signal task (SST).

Methods: Participants were divided into a physical training group (PT, n = 17), a motor imagery training group (MIT, n = 17), and a motor imagery combined with physical training group (MIPT, n = 17). All participants performed 10 SST training sessions over 5 days. Both stop signal reaction time (SSRT) and non-signal reaction time (NSRT) were measured before and after SST training.

Results: There were significant interaction (time × group) and time effects, although the group effect was not statistically significant. Bonferroni post hoc analysis showed that MIPT group revealed a significantly greater change in SSRT than PT and MIT groups, while there was no significant difference between PT and MIT groups. SSRT significantly decreased after training in all groups. In NSRT, there was a significant effect of time, but there was no significant interaction effect (time × group) or group effect.

Conclusion: Response inhibition could be enhanced via training, and it was most effective when motor imagery and physical training were combined. We demonstrate that motor imagery training significantly improves response inhibition and should be accompanied by physical training when performing SST.

Keywords: motor imagery; motor imagery with physical training; response inhibition; stop signal reaction time; stop signal task.