Investigation of Motor Imagery Ability in Relation to Body Awareness and Joint Position Sense in Healthy Subjects

Motor imagery (MI) is a dynamic mental state in which representations of a specific motor movement are rehearsed in working memory without any movement manifestation. It is practiced in physiotherapy clinics to improve motor performance and learn motor tasks. Since the efficiency of the practice depends on the quality of imagery, it is necessary to assess imagery ability before performing an imagery experiment or participating in an imagery training program.

Body awareness is used as a general concept for body management, body experience and body use. It contains information about the parts of the body and includes position perception, movement sense and the conditions required for movements, mental elements (cognitive thought processes). Joint position sense, which has an important role in postural control, is defined as being aware of the position and movement of the joint in space by the central nervous system. Although it has been shown that there are factors related to the central nervous system such as cognitive level that affect motor imagery ability, there are no studies showing the relationship between body awareness and joint position sense, in which central nervous and sensory systems work in integration, and motor imagery ability. In this study, motor imagery ability will be evaluated in healthy subjects and its relationship with body awareness and joint position sense will be investigated.