Highlights
- •Action observation and motor imagery facilitate corticomotor excitability.
- •Intramuscular pain reduces corticomotor excitability.
- •Action observation and motor imagery counterbalance pain-induced reduction in corticomotor excitability.
Abstract
Musculoskeletal pain reduces corticomotor excitability (CE) and methods modulating
such CE reduction remain elusive. This study aimed to modulate pain-induced CE reduction
by performing action observation and motor imagery (AOMI) during experimental muscle
pain. Twelve healthy participants participated in 3 cross-over and randomized sessions
separated by 1 week. During the AOMI session subjects performed an AOMI task for 10
minutes. In the AOMI+PAIN session, hypertonic saline was injected in the first dorsal
interosseous muscle before performing the AOMI task. In the PAIN session, participants
remained at rest for 10 minutes or until pain-resolve after the hypertonic saline
injection. CE was assessed using transcranial magnetic stimulation motor-evoked potentials
(TMS-MEPs) of the first dorsal interosseous muscle at baseline, during, immediately
after, and 10 minutes after AOMI and/or PAIN. Facilitated TMS-MEPs were found after
2 and 4 minutes of AOMI performance (P < .017) whereas a reduction in TMS-MEPs occurred at 4 minutes (P < .017) during the PAIN session. Performing the AOMI task during pain counteracted
the reduction in CE, as evident by no change in TMS-MEPs during the AOMI+PAIN session
(P > .017). Pain intensity was similar between the AOMI+PAIN and PAIN sessions (P = .71). This study, which may be considered a pilot, demonstrated the counteracting
effects of AOMI on pain-induced decreases in CE and warrants further studies in a
larger population.
Perspective
This is the first study to demonstrate a method counteracting the reduction in CE
associated with acute pain and advances therapeutic possibilities for individuals
with chronic musculoskeletal pain.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: May 08, 2019
Accepted:
May 2,
2019
Received in revised form:
March 22,
2019
Received:
January 17,
2019
Footnotes
Work was performed in laboratories at Aalborg University, 9220 Aalborg SØ, Aalborg, Denmark.
Disclosures: The authors declare no conflicts of interest. Center for Neuroplasticity and Pain (CNAP) is supported by the Danish National Research Foundation (DNRF121).
Institutional URL: http://personprofil.aau.dk/111183
Identification
Copyright
© 2019 by the American Pain Society
