Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Classification of Skeletal Muscle Relaxants01:28

Classification of Skeletal Muscle Relaxants

2.7K
Skeletal muscle relaxants are a group of drugs that can reduce muscle stiffness and induce temporary paralysis to relieve pain. These agents can act centrally to reduce muscle tone or spasms in painful conditions such as multiple sclerosis (MS), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or spinal injuries; they are called antispasmodics or spasmolytics.
Peripherally acting skeletal muscle relaxants interfere with the neurotransmission at the neuromuscular end plate to induce paralysis during...
2.7K
Depolarizing Blockers: Mechanism of Action01:28

Depolarizing Blockers: Mechanism of Action

2.0K
Depolarizing blockers act on skeletal muscle fibers' membranes and induce their depolarization. Most depolarizing blockers have two quaternary N+ atoms that bind the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors and cause neuromuscular blockade within minutes.
Succinylcholine is the most commonly used depolarizing blocker. Chemically, it constitutes two molecules of acetylcholine joined together by an acetate methyl group. They act on the receptors in the same way as acetylcholine. Because...
2.0K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Pure agraphia following a focal lesion in exner's area: a case study supporting the dual-route and network models of writing.

BMC neurology·2026
Same author

Dynamics of slow wave sleep in advanced Parkinson's disease: An entropy-based study.

Neurobiology of disease·2026
Same author

ESTREL-Fatigue-association of levodopa with post-stroke fatigue.

European stroke journal·2026
Same author

Altered wakeful theta activity characterizes levodopa-induced dyskinesia in Parkinson's disease.

NPJ Parkinson's disease·2026
Same author

Cross-Modal Transfer as a Window Into the Investigation of Recent Stimulus and Response History in Perceptual Decision-Making.

The European journal of neuroscience·2026
Same author

The impact of levodopa on post-stroke depression: the ESTREL-depression-study.

European stroke journal·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 27, 2025

Intracortical Inhibition Within the Primary Motor Cortex Can Be Modulated by Changing the Focus of Attention
09:48

Intracortical Inhibition Within the Primary Motor Cortex Can Be Modulated by Changing the Focus of Attention

Published on: September 11, 2017

10.1K

Imagined paralysis reduces motor cortex excitability.

Matthias Hartmann1,2, Caroline J Falconer1,3, Alain Kaelin-Lang4,5,6,7

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.

Psychophysiology
|April 8, 2022
PubMed
Summary

Imagining arm paralysis, unlike leg paralysis, reduces motor cortex excitability. This demonstrates that mental imagery can selectively inhibit motor functions, impacting corticospinal pathways.

Keywords:
MEP amplitudeTMScortical excitabilitymental imagerymotor evoked potential (MEP)paralysis

More Related Videos

Online Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Protocol for Measuring Cortical Physiology Associated with Response Inhibition
08:55

Online Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Protocol for Measuring Cortical Physiology Associated with Response Inhibition

Published on: February 8, 2018

9.3K
Corticospinal Excitability Modulation During Action Observation
12:33

Corticospinal Excitability Modulation During Action Observation

Published on: December 31, 2013

9.0K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Sep 27, 2025

Intracortical Inhibition Within the Primary Motor Cortex Can Be Modulated by Changing the Focus of Attention
09:48

Intracortical Inhibition Within the Primary Motor Cortex Can Be Modulated by Changing the Focus of Attention

Published on: September 11, 2017

10.1K
Online Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Protocol for Measuring Cortical Physiology Associated with Response Inhibition
08:55

Online Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Protocol for Measuring Cortical Physiology Associated with Response Inhibition

Published on: February 8, 2018

9.3K
Corticospinal Excitability Modulation During Action Observation
12:33

Corticospinal Excitability Modulation During Action Observation

Published on: December 31, 2013

9.0K

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Motor Control
  • Cognitive Psychology

Background:

  • Mental imagery activates neural pathways similar to real sensory and motor experiences.
  • Prior research indicates motor imagery can increase motor cortical excitability.
  • The inhibitory effects of mental imagery on motor functions remain less explored.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate whether imagined arm paralysis inhibits motor cortical excitability.
  • To assess the specificity of imagined paralysis effects on motor functions.

Main Methods:

  • Healthy participants underwent transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) over the primary motor cortex hand area.
  • Motor evoked potentials (MEPs) were measured during imagined arm paralysis, imagined leg paralysis, and a no-imagery baseline.
  • Near-threshold TMS was used to probe motor cortical excitability.

Main Results:

  • Motor evoked potential (MEP) amplitudes were significantly lower during imagined arm paralysis compared to imagined leg paralysis.
  • MEP amplitudes were also lower during imagined arm paralysis than during baseline stimulation.
  • These findings suggest a selective inhibitory effect of imagined paralysis on corticospinal excitability.

Conclusions:

  • Purely imagined bodily constraints can selectively inhibit basic motor corticospinal functions.
  • The study contributes to understanding motoric embodiment and disembodiment through mental imagery.
  • Mental imagery of paralysis offers a novel paradigm for studying motor inhibition.