Motor imagery improves force control in older and young females

Motor imagery training (MIT) is the mental rehearsal of a motor task with no overt movement that enhances physical performance through adaptations in neural excitability. MIT may prime the motor system for physical execution. In older adults, with physical practice, force steadiness improves and changes are related to improved performance of functional tasks, and associated with adaptations in neural excitability. The purpose of this study was to determine if one session of MIT influences corticospinal excitability and improves force steadiness of isometric elbow flexion contractions in young and older female adults. To test the hypotheses that MIT would increase corticospinal excitability and improve isometric elbow flexion force steadiness to a greater extent in older compared to young females fourteen older (67-89 years old) and twenty-two younger (19-33 years old) participants were randomly assigned to a MIT group or Control group. Participants, in a block design, performed isometric elbow flexion contractions at 10 % of maximal force prior to and following MIT (training group) or no training (Control group). Elbow flexion contractions were performed in blocks 1, 3, and 5. MIT or documentary viewing was performed in blocks 2 and 4. Motor evoked potentials (MEPs) elicited by transcranial magnetic stimulation were collected within the last five seconds of each submaximal contraction. The MEPs were reduced in the older MIT group from block 1 to block 5 (p = 0.039) but not the young MIT group (p = 0.761). Force steadiness in the older (p = 0.005) and young (p = 0.001) females improved from baseline after 20 min of MIT. Older females improved force steadiness relative to the baseline to a greater extent than young females (older 8.44 % and young 5.0 %), and the improvements were significant in older females in the first 10 min. In older females, MIT primes the motor system and improves force steadiness earlier and to a greater extent than in young females.