Reliability and Validity of the Japanese Version of the Kinesthetic and Visual Imagery Questionnaire (KVIQ)

Changes in corticospinal excitability during motor imagery by physical practice of a force production task: Effect of the rate of force development during practice

Transcranial magnetic stimulation studies have indicated that the physical practice of a force production task increases corticospinal excitability during motor imagery (MI) of that task. However, it is unclear whether this practice-induced facilitation of corticospinal excitability during MI depends on a repeatedly practiced rate of force development (RFD). We aimed to investigate whether corticospinal excitability during MI of an isometric force production task is facilitated only when imagining the motor task with the same RFD as the physically practiced RFD. Furthermore, we aimed to examine whether corticospinal excitability during MI only occurs immediately after physical practice or is maintained. Twenty-eight right-handed young adults practiced isometric ramp force production using right index finger abduction. Half of the participants (high group) practiced the force production with high RFD, and the other half (low group) practiced the force production with low RFD. Questionnaire scores indicating MI ability were similar in the two groups. We examined the force error relative to the target force during the force production task without visual feedback, and motor evoked potential (MEP) amplitudes of the first dorsal interosseous (FDI) and abductor pollicis brevis (APB) muscles during the MI of the force production task under practiced and unpracticed RFD conditions before, immediately after, and 20 min after physical practice. Our results demonstrated that the force error in both RFD conditions significantly decreased immediately after physical practice, irrespective of the RFD condition practiced. In the high group, the MEP amplitude of the FDI muscle during MI in the high RFD condition significantly increased immediately after practice compared to that before, whereas the MEP amplitude 20 min after practice was not significantly different from that before practice. Conversely, the MEP amplitude during MI in the high RFD condition did not change significantly in the low group, and neither group had significant changes in MEP amplitude during MI in the low RFD condition. The facilitatory effect of corticospinal excitability during MI with high RFD observed only immediately after physical practice in the high RFD condition may reflect short-term functional changes in the primary motor cortex induced by physical practice.

Development and Validation of the Body Cognition Assessment System

Body awareness, which comprises the sense of body possession and action ownership, is essential for the adaptive movement of humans in response to external environments. However, existing body cognition assessments include many overt elements of cognitive functional activity, but no assessment captures the latent body cognition necessary for exercise and daily life activities. Therefore, this study aimed to devise a body cognition assessment system (BCAS) to examine the functional basis of body cognition in healthy participants and investigate its usefulness. The BCAS was used to assess body cognition on three occasions, and BCAS values were calculated from the results of the assessment. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to determine reproducibility. Neural activity in the brain during somatocognition assessment while conducting the BCAS was measured by electroencephalogram. Moreover, the functional basis for somatocognition with the BCAS was also investigated. The results demonstrated that the BCAS values varied across the three administrations (ICC (1.3) = 0.372), and changes in the state of neural activity in the brain were observed. The results suggest that assessment using the BCAS may be a new indicator of ever-changing body cognition.

Relationship between Corticospinal Excitability While Gazing at the Mirror and Motor Imagery Ability

Mirror therapy (MT) helps stroke survivors recover motor function. Previous studies have reported that an individual's motor imagery ability is related to the areas of brain activity during motor imagery and the effectiveness of motor imagery training. However, the relationship between MT and motor imagery ability and between corticospinal tract excitability during mirror gazing, an important component of MT, and motor imagery ability is unclear. This study determined whether the motor-evoked potential (MEP) amplitude while gazing at the mirror relates to participants' motor imagery abilities. Twenty-four healthy right-handed adults (seven males) were recruited. Transcranial magnetic stimulation was performed while gazing at the mirror, and MEP of the first dorsal interosseous muscle of the right hand were measured. Motor imagery ability was measured using the Kinesthetic and Visual Imagery Questionnaire (KVIQ), which assesses the vividness of motor imagery ability. Additionally, a mental chronometry (MC) task was used to assess time aspects. The results showed a significant moderate correlation between changes in MEP amplitude values while gazing at the mirror, as compared with resting conditions, and assessment scores of KVIQ. This study shows that corticospinal excitability because of mirror gazing may be related to the vividness of motor imagery ability.

Test-Retest Reliability and Criterion Validity of the Spanish Version of Two Motor Imagery Questionnaires in People With Parkinson Disease

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The Kinesthetic and Visual Imagery Questionnaire (KVIQ) and the Movement Imagery Questionnaire-Revised Second Version (MIQ-RS) are measurement instruments that assess motor imagery vividness. The aim of this study was to examine the validity and reliability of the Spanish KVIQ and MIQ-RS in people with Parkinson disease (PD).

METHODS

A longitudinal descriptive study was conducted following the COSMIN standards. Thirty-five people with idiopathic PD were evaluated twice (7-15 days apart) with the Spanish KVIQ and MIQ-RS. Structural validity, internal consistency, test-retest reliability (ICC), standard error of measurement (SEM), smallest detectable change (SDC), and criterion validity of the MIQ-RS and KVIQ long (KVIQ-20), short (KVIQ-10), and extended (KVIQ-34) versions and their subscales (if pertinent) were tested.

RESULTS

Factor analysis was satisfactory for the MIQ-RS, KVIQ-20, and KVIQ-10, providing evidence of their 2-dimensional structure. Evidence of the structural validity of the KVIQ-34 was not confirmed and thus was analyzed as an overall score. Revelle's ω > 0.9 showed excellent internal consistency. Test-retest reliability was moderate (ICC = 0.58-0.75) and higher for all visual subscales. SEM and SDC were up to 14.39% and 39.89% of the scores, respectively. Criterion validity between questionnaires and subscales was strong (Spearman's r > 0.7).

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

The results provide evidence for the validity and reliability of the Spanish MIQ-RS, KVIQ-20, and KVIQ-10 to assess motor imagery vividness in people with PD, whereas the KVIQ-34 should only be interpreted as an overall score. Psychometric, procedural, and practical features of the questionnaires should be considered when applying into clinical practice.Video Abstract available for more insights from the authors (see the Video, Supplemental Digital Content 1, available at: http://links.lww.com/JNPT/A401).

Repetitive Peripheral Magnetic Stimulation Combined with Motor Imagery Changes Resting-State EEG Activity: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Repetitive peripheral magnetic stimulation is a novel non-invasive technique for applying repetitive magnetic stimulation to the peripheral nerves and muscles. Contrarily, a person imagines that he/she is exercising during motor imagery. Resting-state electroencephalography can evaluate the ability of motor imagery; however, the effects of motor imagery and repetitive peripheral magnetic stimulation on resting-state electroencephalography are unknown. We examined the effects of motor imagery and repetitive peripheral magnetic stimulation on the vividness of motor imagery and resting-state electroencephalography. The participants were divided into a motor imagery group and motor imagery and repetitive peripheral magnetic stimulation group. They performed 60 motor imagery tasks involving wrist dorsiflexion movement. In the motor imagery and repetitive peripheral magnetic stimulation group, we applied repetitive peripheral magnetic stimulation to the extensor carpi radialis longus muscle during motor imagery. We measured the vividness of motor imagery and resting-state electroencephalography before and after the task. Both groups displayed a significant increase in the vividness of motor imagery. The motor imagery and repetitive peripheral magnetic stimulation group exhibited increased β activity in the anterior cingulate cortex by source localization for electroencephalography. Hence, combined motor imagery and repetitive peripheral magnetic stimulation changes the resting-state electroencephalography activity and may promote motor imagery.

Reliability and validity of the Japanese movement imagery questionnaire-revised second version

Objective

Developing a Japanese version of the Movement Imagery Questionnaire-Revised Second Version (MIQ-RS) is essential for widespread evaluation and treatment based on motor imagery in physically disabled persons and patients in rehabilitation. This study aimed to investigate the reliability and validity of the Movement Imagery Questionnaire-Revised Second Version (MIQ-RS), which assesses motor imagery ability, by translating it into Japanese.

Results

This study enrolled twenty healthy participants (10 men and 10 women, mean age 21.17 ± 1.10 years). Reliability was examined for internal consistency using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient was used to examine the criterion-related validity of the MIQ-RS and the Kinesthetic and Visual Imagery Questionnaire (KVIQ-20). Results showed that Cronbach’s alpha coefficients for the MIQ-RS were 0.81 and 0.82 for visual and kinesthetic imagery, respectively. Significant positive correlations were found between each visual and kinesthetic imagery score, and each total on the MIQ-RS and KVIQ-20 scores (r = 0.73, p < 0.01; r = 0.84, p < 0.01; r = 0.80, p < 0.01, respectively). This study suggests that the Japanese version of the MIQ-RS is a reliable and valid method of assessing motor imagery ability.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13104-022-06220-y.

Imagery ability assessments: a cross-disciplinary systematic review and quality evaluation of psychometric properties

BACKGROUND

Over the last two centuries, researchers developed several assessments to evaluate the multidimensional construct of imagery. However, no comprehensive systematic review (SR) exists for imagery ability evaluation methods and an in-depth quality evaluation of their psychometric properties.

METHODS

We performed a comprehensive systematic search in six databases in the disciplines of sport, psychology, medicine, education: SPORTDiscus, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library, Scopus, Web of Science, and ERIC. Two reviewers independently identified and screened articles for selection. COSMIN checklist was used to evaluate the methodological quality of the studies. All included assessments were evaluated for quality using criteria for good measurement properties. The evidence synthesis was summarised by using the GRADE approach.

RESULTS

In total, 121 articles reporting 155 studies and describing 65 assessments were included. We categorised assessments based on their construct on: (1) motor imagery (n = 15), (2) mental imagery (n = 48) and (3) mental chronometry (n = 2). Methodological quality of studies was mainly doubtful or inadequate. The psychometric properties of most assessments were insufficient or indeterminate. The best rated assessments with sufficient psychometric properties were MIQ, MIQ-R, MIQ-3, and VMIQ-2 for evaluation of motor imagery ability. Regarding mental imagery evaluation, only SIAQ and VVIQ showed sufficient psychometric properties.

CONCLUSION

Various assessments exist to evaluate an individual's imagery ability within different dimensions or modalities of imagery in different disciplines. However, the psychometric properties of most assessments are insufficient or indeterminate. Several assessments should be revised and further validated. Moreover, most studies were only evaluated with students. Further cross-disciplinary validation studies are needed including older populations with a larger age range. Our findings allow clinicians, coaches, teachers, and researchers to select a suitable imagery ability assessment for their setting and goals based on information about the focus and quality of the assessments.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS REGISTER

PROSPERO CRD42017077004 .

Relationship between the vividness of motor imagery and physical function in patients with subacute hemiplegic stroke: a cross-sectional preliminary study

PURPOSE

The study aimed to clarify whether the vividness of motor imagery is related to lower limb function and walking ability in patients with hemiplegic stroke.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The study was a cross-sectional preliminary study. The subjects were 15 patients with hemiplegic stroke. The vividness of motor imagery was assessed using the kinesthetic and visual imagery questionnaire. The kinesthetic imagery (KI) involves the sensation of one's own movement, whereas the visual imagery (VI) involves the imagination of a third-person performing the self-movement. Their physical functions were assessed using the Brunnstrom recovery stage, stroke impairment assessment set, 10-m maximum walking speed test, and functional independence measure. KI and VI were compared using the t test. Correlation analysis was performed between KI or VI and various variables as well as between the motor imagery gap (difference between KI and VI) and various variables.

RESULTS

KI was significantly lower than VI (p < .01). KI was correlated not only with lower limb function (r = 0.68) but also with walking speed (r = -0.64). The motor imagery gap was correlated with hip joint function (r = -0.53).

CONCLUSIONS

KI and motor imagery gap were associated with lower limb function and walking ability.

Gymnasts' Ability to Modulate Sensorimotor Rhythms During Kinesthetic Motor Imagery of Sports Non-specific Movements Superior to Non-gymnasts

Previous psychological studies using questionnaires have consistently reported that athletes have superior motor imagery ability, both for sports-specific and for sports-non-specific movements. However, regarding motor imagery of sports-non-specific movements, no physiological studies have demonstrated differences in neural activity between athletes and non-athletes. The purpose of this study was to examine the differences in sensorimotor rhythms during kinesthetic motor imagery (KMI) of sports-non-specific movements between gymnasts and non-gymnasts. We selected gymnasts as an example population because they are likely to have particularly superior motor imagery ability due to frequent usage of motor imagery, including KMI as part of daily practice. Healthy young participants (16 gymnasts and 16 non-gymnasts) performed repeated motor execution and KMI of sports-non-specific movements (wrist dorsiflexion and shoulder abduction of the dominant hand). Scalp electroencephalogram (EEG) was recorded over the contralateral sensorimotor cortex. During motor execution and KMI, sensorimotor EEG power is known to decrease in the α- (8–15 Hz) and β-bands (16–35 Hz), referred to as event-related desynchronization (ERD). We calculated the maximal peak of ERD both in the α- (αERDmax) and β-bands (βERDmax) as a measure of changes in corticospinal excitability. αERDmax was significantly greater in gymnasts, who subjectively evaluated their KMI as being more vivid in the psychological questionnaire. On the other hand, βERDmax was greater in gymnasts only for shoulder abduction KMI. These findings suggest gymnasts' signature of flexibly modulating sensorimotor rhythms with no movements, which may be the basis of their superior ability of KMI for sports-non-specific movements.

[Execution, assessment and improvement methods of motor imagery for brain-computer interface]

Motor imagery (MI) is an important paradigm of driving brain computer interface (BCI). However, MI is not easy to control or acquire, and the performance of MI-BCI depends heavily on the performance of the subjects' MI. Therefore, the correct execution of MI mental activities, ability evaluation and improvement methods play important and even critical roles in the improvement and application of MI-BCI system's performance. However, in the research and development of MI-BCI, the existing researches mainly focus on the decoding algorithm of MI, but do not pay enough attention to the above three aspects of MI mental activities. In this paper, these problems of MI-BCI are discussed in detail, and it is pointed out that the subjects tend to use visual motor imagery as kinesthetic motor imagery. In the future, we need to develop some objective, quantitatively visualized MI ability evaluation methods, and develop some effective and less time-consumption training methods to improve MI ability. It is also necessary to solve the differences and commonness of MI problems between and within individuals and MI-BCI illiteracy to a certain extent.

Decoding of Motor Coordination Imagery Involving the Lower Limbs by the EEG-Based Brain Network

Compared with the efficacy of traditional physical therapy, a new therapy utilizing motor imagery can induce brain plasticity and allows partial recovery of motor ability in patients with hemiplegia after stroke. Here, we proposed an updated paradigm utilizing motor coordination imagery involving the lower limbs (normal gait imagery and hemiplegic gait imagery after stroke) and decoded such imagery via an electroencephalogram- (EEG-) based brain network. Thirty subjects were recruited to collect EEGs during motor coordination imagery involving the lower limbs. Time-domain analysis, power spectrum analysis, time-frequency analysis, brain network analysis, and statistical analysis were used to explore the neural mechanisms of motor coordination imagery involving the lower limbs. Then, EEG-based brain network features were extracted, and a support vector machine was used for decoding. The results showed that the two employed motor coordination imageries mainly activated sensorimotor areas; the frequency band power was mainly concentrated within theta and alpha bands, and brain functional connections mainly occurred in the right forehead. The combination of the network attributes of the EEG-based brain network and the spatial features of the adjacency matrix had good separability for the two kinds of gait imagery (p < 0.05), and the average classification accuracy of the combination feature was 92.96% ± 7.54%. Taken together, our findings suggest that brain network features can be used to identify normal gait imagery and hemiplegic gait imagery after stroke.

Effects of Motor Imagery Training on Balance and Gait in Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study

The aim of this study was to demonstrate the effects of motor imagery training on balance and gait abilities in older adults and to investigate the possible application of the training as an effective intervention against fall prevention. Subjects (n = 34) aged 65 years and over who had experienced falls were randomly allocated to three groups: (1) motor imagery training group (MITG, n = 11), (2) task-oriented training group (TOTG, n = 11), and (3) control group (CG, n = 12). Each group performed an exercise three times a week for 6 weeks. The dependent variables included Path Length of center of pressure (COP)-based static balance, Berg Balance Scale (BBS) score, Timed Up and Go Test (TUG) score, which assesses a person's mobility based on changes in both static and dynamic balance, Falls Efficacy Scale (FES) score, which evaluates changes in fear of falls, and gait parameters (velocity, cadence, step length, stride length, and H-H base support) to evaluate gait. After the intervention, Path Length, BBS, TUG, velocity, cadence, step length, and stride length showed significant increases in MITG and TOTG compared to CG (p < 0.05). Post hoc test results showed a significantly greater increase in BBS, TUG, and FES in MITG compared with TOTG and CG (p < 0.05). Our results suggest that motor imagery training combined with functional training has positive effects on balance, gait, and fall efficacy for fall prevention in the elderly.

A novel strategy for driving car brain-computer interfaces: Discrimination of EEG-based visual-motor imagery

A brain-computer interface (BCI) based on kinesthetic motor imagery has a potential of becoming a groundbreaking technology in a clinical setting. However, few studies focus on a visual-motor imagery (VMI) paradigm driving BCI. The VMI-BCI feature extraction methods are yet to be explored in depth. In this study, a novel VMI-BCI paradigm is proposed to execute four VMI tasks: imagining a car moving forward, reversing, turning left, and turning right. These mental strategies can naturally control a car or robot to move forward, backward, left, and right. Electroencephalogram (EEG) data from 25 subjects were collected. After the raw EEG signal baseline was corrected, the alpha band was extracted using bandpass filtering. The artifacts were removed by independent component analysis. Then, the EEG average instantaneous energy induced by VMI (VMI-EEG) was calculated using the Hilbert-Huang transform (HHT). The autoregressive model was extracted to construct a 12-dimensional feature vector to a support vector machine suitable for small sample classification. This was classified into two-class tasks: visual imagination of driving the car forward versus reversing, driving forward versus turning left, driving forward versus turning right, reversing versus turning left, reversing versus turning right, and turning left versus turning right. The results showed that the average classification accuracy of these two-class tasks was 62.68 ± 5.08%, and the highest classification accuracy was 73.66 ± 6.80%. The study showed that EEG features of O1 and O2 electrodes in the occipital region extracted by HHT were separable for these VMI tasks.

[Reliability and validity of the mental evocation of images, movements and activities questionnaire: a pilot study]

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES

Motor imaging is a widely used technique in neurological rehabilitation. Its utility and results are influenced by the ability to imagine a movement, which can be evaluated by various instruments. This study aimed to assess the psychometric properties of a recently-designed instrument for assessment of the hand and arm: the Mental Evocation of Images, Movements and Activities Questionnaire.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We assessed 29 patients (41% men and 59% women) with a mean age of 45 years. At a first visit, all were administered the Mental Evocation of Images, Movements and Activities Questionnaire and the Spanish version of the Movement Imagery Questionnaire-Revised. At a second visit, the patients underwent a retest of the Mental Evocation of Images, Movements and Activities Questionnaire. We calculated descriptive statistics, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, reproducibility and concurrent validity between the two instruments.

RESULTS

Reliability/internal consistency: we found good indexes of internal consistency both for the global scale and for its two subscales: evocation and sensation. Reliability/test-retest: we found no significant differences in a 1-week interval. Reproducibility: we found an excellent intraclass correlation coefficient. Concurrent validity: the Mental Evocation of Images, Movements and Activities Questionnaire showed a strong correlation with the Movement Imagery Questionnaire-Revised.

CONCLUSIONS

The Mental Evocation of Images, Movements and Activities Questionnaire is a psychometrically robust instrument that can be used to measure the ability to form visual and kinesthetic mental images of the hand/arm. The instrument also provides information on the imaging process in the person under evaluation.