The effects of tool holding on body schema during motor imagery: a near-infrared spectroscopy study.
Tsubasa Oikawa, Daisuke Hirano, Takamichi Taniguchi and 1 others
PMID 28533613WHAT IT FOUND
Holding a pen during mental writing imagery increased brain activity in motor areas for the dominant hand, but not the non-dominant hand.
This suggests tool holding may help imagery only for movements already automated by the user.
Key findings
01Brain activity in specific motor and parietal regions was significantly higher when participants held a pen during mental writing imagery with their right hand compared to not holding a pen.
02There were no significant differences in brain activity between holding and not holding a pen when participants imagined writing with their left hand.
03The authors suggest that the benefit of tool holding on motor imagery depends on the proficiency of the movement, working better for automated tasks.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they found
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What it does not show
The study involved only 11 healthy young adults, so findings may not apply to patients with motor impairments or older adults. The results were only significant for the dominant hand, suggesting the effect may not generalize to non-dominant or impaired limbs. Near-infrared spectroscopy cannot measure activity in deeper brain structures like the basal ganglia or cerebellum.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that holding a tool will improve motor imagery for all patients or all hands. The study found no benefit when participants used their non-dominant hand, and the authors suggest the technique may only work for movements the person has already mastered.