Effects of sensory awareness, imagery and observation on electroencephalography in adult with psychological stress.
Si-Nae Ahn, Jeongweon Lee
PMID 30774198WHAT IT FOUND
In adults with psychological stress, imagining tactile sensation on the back produced the highest brain activity, while observing another person produced the lowest.
The study measured brainwaves, not clinical outcomes.
Key findings
01Imagery of back tactile sensation resulted in the highest sensory motor rhythm activity at both C3 and C4 electrode sites.
02Observing another person's back tactile sensation resulted in the lowest sensory motor rhythm activity.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study measured brainwave activity (EEG), not clinical symptoms, function, or patient outcomes. The participants were healthy adults with self-reported stress, not necessarily patients receiving therapy. The sample size was small (30 participants). The authors state that future studies are needed to see if these findings apply to people currently receiving physical therapy.
Declared interests
None declared.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret these brainwave differences as evidence that imagery or observation techniques improve clinical outcomes or reduce stress. The study only measured physiological brain activity in a laboratory setting.