Thesis Defence: Investigating the Neural and Behavioural Separability of Visual and Kinesthetic Motor Imagery

Kyle Vallido, supervised by Dr. Sarah Kraeutner, will defend their thesis titled “Investigating the Neural and Behavioural Separability of Visual and Kinesthetic Motor Imagery” in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Graduate Studies – Digital Arts & Humanities theme.

An abstract for Kyle Vallido’s thesis is included below.

Defences are open to all members of the campus community as well as the general public. Registration is not required for in-person defences.

Abstract

Motor imagery is a form of covert practice involving the mental rehearsal of how movements look (visual motor imagery; VMI) or how movements feel (kinesthetic motor imagery; KMI). While considered separate modalities of motor imagery, little is known about their separability motor imagery. Across two studies, this thesis aimed to examine the extent to which VMI and KMI are separable from both a neural and behavioural perspective. Study 1 aimed to test the shared and distinct neural mechanisms recruited during VMI and KMI performance using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). In a single session within-group design with repeated measures, participants performed VMI and KMI of a novel gesture sequence task inside the fMRI scanner. The results of Study 1 showed that VMI and KMI recruit distinct sensory regions: VMI showed greater activation in visual regions, whereas KMI was associated with greater activation in non-visual sensory regions. Yet, VMI and KMI rely on recruitment of a shared motor network in novice, evidenced by the results of our equivalence testing showing that VMI and KMI rely similar recruitment of the left primary motor cortex, bilateral premotor cortices, and bilateral supplementary motor areas. Given these findings, Study 2 aimed to test whether these distinct sensory processes translated into distinct behavioural outcomes. Specifically, the extent to which VMI, KMI, and action observation (AO; a closely linked form of covert practice) influenced improvements in motor performance in novices. In a two-session between-group design with repeated measures, participants performed a joystick-based explicit motor sequence learning task following covert practice of either VMI or KMI. An action observation (AO, the observation of movements) condition was also included to contextualize our findings in the broader context of other forms of covert practice. Results of Study 2 showed that gains in motor performance were greater in both motor imagery groups relative to AO, and to a greater extent in the KMI group relative to VMI group. These results suggest that in novices, VMI and KMI are behaviourally separable where KMI is better at improving motor performance of a motor sequence task relative to VMI, and both motor imagery modalities relative to AO. Overall, the findings from both these studies inform on the neural and behavioural separability of VMI and KMI in novices, expanding our understanding of distinct neural recruitment patterns that translate into differential gains in motor performance.