Despite its reported effectiveness for the acquisition of motor skills, we know little about how motor imagery (MI)-based brain activation and performance evolves when MI (the imagined performance of a motor task) is used to learn a complex motor skill compared to physical practice (PP). The current study examined changes in MI-related brain activity and performance driven by an equivalent bout of MI- or PP-based training. Participants engaged in 5 days of either MI or PP of a dart-throwing task. Brain activity (via fMRI) and performance-related outcomes were obtained using a pre/post/retention design. Relative to PP, MI-based training did not drive robust changes in brain activation and was inferior for realizing improvements in performance: Greater activation in regions critical to refining the motor program was observed in the PP versus MI group posttraining, and relative to those driven via PP, MI led only to marginal improvements in performance. Findings indicate that the modality of practice (i.e., MI vs. PP) used to learn a complex motor skill manifests as differences in both resultant patterns of brain activity and performance. Ultimately, by directly comparing brain activity and behavioral outcomes after equivalent training through MI versus PP, this work provides unique knowledge regarding the neural mechanisms underlying learning through MI.

中文翻译：

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神经和行为结果在相同的运动想象或身体练习之后有所不同。

尽管据报道它在获得运动技能方面是有效的，但我们对基于运动意象 (MI) 的大脑激活和表现如何在使用 MI（运动任务的想象表现）来学习复杂的运动技能时与物理运动技能相比知之甚少。练习（PP）。当前的研究检查了由等效的基于 MI 或 PP 的训练驱动的 MI 相关大脑活动和表现的变化。参与者进行了 5 天的 MI 或 PP 投掷任务。大脑活动（通过 fMRI）和表现相关的结果是使用前/后/保留设计获得的。相对于 PP，基于 MI 的训练并没有推动大脑激活的强劲变化，并且在实现性能改进方面较差：在 PP 与 MI 组后训练中观察到对完善运动程序至关重要的区域的更大激活，并且相对于通过 PP 驱动的那些，MI 仅导致性能的边际改善。研究结果表明，用于学习复杂运动技能的练习方式（即 MI 与 PP）表现为大脑活动和表现的结果模式的差异。最终，通过 MI 与 PP 等效训练后直接比较大脑活动和行为结果，这项工作提供了关于通过 MI 学习的神经机制的独特知识。PP）用于学习复杂的运动技能，表现为大脑活动和表现的结果模式的差异。最终，通过 MI 与 PP 等效训练后直接比较大脑活动和行为结果，这项工作提供了关于通过 MI 学习的神经机制的独特知识。PP）用于学习复杂的运动技能，表现为大脑活动和表现的结果模式的差异。最终，通过 MI 与 PP 等效训练后直接比较大脑活动和行为结果，这项工作提供了关于通过 MI 学习的神经机制的独特知识。