Implicaciones clínicas y funcionales de la capacidad de creación de imágenes motoras en pacientes con enfermedad de Parkinson

Abstract

Motor imagery (MI) is defined as the cognitive process by which a subject imagines the performance of an action without actually making any movement and without producing muscle tension. This process requires the conscious activation of the brain regions responsible for the preparation and execution of the movement, as well as its voluntary inhibition through the inhibitory activity of the primary motor cortex on the corticospinal pathway. Systematic reviews claim that MI training accelerates learning and improvement of motor skills, which have led to performance improvements in athletes or to maintenance of joint range and muscle strength after prolonged immobilisation.Parkinson's disease (PD) is classically manifested by the cardinal motor signs of the disease, accompanied by other non-motor symptoms. Their confluence results in the alteration of the body's spatial representation (body schema), which may limit the use of MI in this population. However, it is not known whether there are specific clinical aspects of PD that directly limit the ability to perform motor imaging, or whether this may impact on the application of MI therapy...