Article

Action observation influences motor performance in healthy subjects
and persons with motor impairments.
OBJECTIVE: To understand the effects of action observation on the spontaneous rate of finger movements in patients with
Parkinson disease (PD).
METHODS: Participants, 20 with PD and 14 healthy
controls, were randomly divided into 2 groups. Those in the VIDEO group watched
video clips showing repetitive finger movements paced at 3 Hz, whereas those in
the ACOUSTIC group listened to an acoustic cue paced at 3 Hz. All participants
performed a finger sequence at their spontaneous pace at different intervals
(before, at the end of, 45 minutes after, and 2 days after training); 8
participants with PD were recruited for a sham intervention, watching a 6-minute
video representing a static hand. Finally, 10 patients participated in the same
protocol used for the VIDEO group but were tested in the on and off medication
states. RESULTS: Both VIDEO and ACOUSTIC training increased the spontaneous rate
in all participants. VIDEO intervention showed a greater effect over time,
improving the spontaneous rate and reducing the intertapping interval to a larger
extent than ACOUSTIC 45 minutes and 2 days after training. Action observation
significantly influenced movement rate in on and off conditions, but 45 minutes
after training, the effect was still present only in the on condition. No effect
was observed after sham intervention. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that
the dopaminergic state contributes to the effects of action observation, and this
training may be a promising approach in the rehabilitation of bradykinesia in PD.

Langue : ANGLAIS