Mental Imagery Enhances Pain Reduction and Visual Processing in Knee Osteoarthritis Patients: A Comparative Study

Objective: Mental imagery involves forming internal sensory representations, while osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease characterized by cartilage loss. This study explores how mental imagery can modulate pain perception and enhance visual processing in individuals with knee osteoarthritis. Methods: Forty-eight participants were randomly assigned to a mental imagery group or a treatment group. The treatment group received conventional physiotherapy interventions, including ultrasound, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, hot pack application, and isometric knee exercises, while the mental imagery group mentally imagined the same treatments. Both groups underwent interventions for 10 days, with assessments before and after. Pain intensity was measured using the visual analog scale (VAS), and visual processing was assessed through the digital pareidolia test. Results: Both groups exhibited significant reductions in VAS scores, with the mental imagery group demonstrating a more substantial decrease. Notably, the mental imagery group had faster reaction times to face pareidolia images, indicating improved visual processing. In contrast, the treatment group's reaction times to face pareidolia images remained unchanged. Conclusion: These findings highlight that mental imagery could serve as an alternative approach to pain management and cognitive enhancement, potentially influencing top-down mechanisms in facial pattern recognition. This highlights the potential for mental imagery to be integrated into therapeutic strategies for pain-related conditions, promoting personalized, innovative treatments.