The purpose of this study was to investigate differences in mechanisms and learning facilitatory effect of motor imagery and action observation by analyzing brain activation patterns during motor imagery and action observation and the effect of those ...
The purpose of this study was to investigate differences in mechanisms and learning facilitatory effect of motor imagery and action observation by analyzing brain activation patterns during motor imagery and action observation and the effect of those cognitive interventions on the learning of golf-putting. In the electroencephalogram(EEG) experiment, 18 male university students participated as subjects, and were randomly assigned to one of the three conditions: action observation, motor imagery with eyes open, and motor imagery with eyes closed.
During the experiment, the action observation group observed the putting performance of a model, whereas other groups performed motor imagery of golf putting with either eyes open or eyes closed. While participants performed the experimental tasks, EEG activities were measured from three brain areas, C3, Cz, and C4, from which the power of mu rhythm(enhancement or suppression) was calculated. Calculated variables were analyzed by three-way ANOVAs(3 groups x 3 distances x 3 brain areas) with repeated measures on the last two factors.
The power of mu rhythm was suppressed significantly in the action observation group, compared to motor imagery groups. This result suggests that action observation can activate the brain areas involved in the performance of actual task more effectively than motor imagery.
In the learning experiment, 60 male university students participated as subjects, and were randomly assigned to one of the six groups: motor imagery(MI), action observation(AO), physical practice(PP), motor imagery and physical practice simultaneously(MI-PP), action observation and physical practice simultaneously(AO-PP), and control group. After the pre-test of putting performance, subjects participated in the practice program assigned to each group for 3 days, 20 min a day. Subjects performed the immediate and delayed post-tests of putting performance 1 day and 1 week after the practice session respectively. For each test, variables reflecting the accuracy and consistency of putting movements and results were calculated, and analyzed by three-way ANOVAs(6 groups x 3 test sessions x 3 distances) with repeated measures on the last two factors.
Analysis of the accuracy and consistency of putting movements revealed that all the experimental groups, except the MI and control group, improved significantly from the pre-test to the immediate and delayed post-tests. Particularly, the AO-PP group improved further from the immediate post-test to the delayed post-test.
In terms of the accuracy and consistency of putting results, all the experimental groups, except the control group, improved significantly from the pre-test to the immediate post-test, which was maintained in the delayed post-test. As the result of the putting movements, the AO-PP group improved further from the immediate post-test to the delayed.
Taken together, these results suggest that the learning facilitatory effect of cognitive intervention can be maximized when performed together with physical practice, and physical practice with action observation is more efficient than that with motor imagery. Simultaneous performance of action observation and physical practice can establish the most effective practice condition by providing a combined learning effect, which cannot be obtained by either cognitive intervention or physical practice alone.