Abstract
Aim of the study: To investigate a more available model for the early phase of motor learning after action observation combined with motor imagery training in elderly people. To address the purpose, we focused on a slow, unskilled model demonstrating an occasional error.
Materials and methods: A total of 36 elderly people participated in the current study and were assigned to either the unskilled or skilled model observation groups (n = 12, respectively), or the control group (n = 12). The participants in the observation groups observed the assigned a video clip of an unskilled or skilled model demonstrating a ball rotation task. During the observation, the participants were instructed to imagine themselves as the person in the video clip. The participants in the control group read a scientific paper during the equivalent period of action observation and motor imagery. We measured ball rotation performance (the time required for five rotations, the number of ball drops) in pre- and post-intervention (observation combined with motor imagery training for intervention groups or reading for control group).
Results: Ball rotation performance (ball rotation speed) significantly improved in the unskilled model observation group compared to the other two groups.
Conclusions: Intervention for action observation using unskilled model combined with motor imagery was effective for improving motor performance during the early phase of motor learning.
Acknowledgments
The authors thank Katsutoshi Kudo for their assistance with conducting the experiment.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.