Action Observation and Motor Imagery Induced Hypoalgesia in Asymptomatic Subjects

This study evaluates the influence of motor imagery and the observation of actions on pain perception. Participants in this study are asymptomatic subjects who will perform an IM and AO protocol of an aerobic exercise.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Analgesia; Exercise
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Action Observation plus motor imagery; Behavioral: Motor imagery; Behavioral: Exercise plus action Observation and motor imagery

Detailed Description

Motor Imagery (MI) is defined as a dynamic mental process that involves the representation of an action, in an internal way, without its actual motor execution. The Action Observation (AO) evokes an internal, real-time motor simulation of the movements that the observer is perceiving visually. Both mental processes trigger the activation of the neurocognitive mechanisms that underlie the planning and execution of voluntary movements in a manner that resembles how the action is performed in a real manner. The phenomenon of exercise-induced hypoalgesia is well known. This is why it has been suggested that these techniques could produce pain modulation similar to that produced by real exercise.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 30
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Spain
  • Madrid, Spain, 28023
    • CSEU La Salle

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 65 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age between 18 and 60
• Healthy and with no pain subjects

Exclusion Criteria:

• Any cognitive impairment that hindered viewing of audiovisual material.
• Difficulty understanding or communicating.
• Presence of systemic pathology, Central Nervous System or rheumatic disease.
• Inadequate understanding of the Spanish language to follow instructions for measuring and treatment.
• Collaboration of pregnant women.
• Underage subjects
• Subjects with pain at the time of the study.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Double

Number of Arms

3

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Action Observation and Motor imagery	Behavioral: Action Observation plus motor imagery; Action observation (video) and motor imagery of running.
Active Comparator: Motor Imagery	Behavioral: Motor imagery; Motor imagery of running
Experimental: Exercise plus motor imagery and action observation	Behavioral: Exercise plus action Observation and motor imagery; Real exercise of running during 6 min plus action observation (video) and motor imagery of running.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Pain pressure threshold	Pressure Pain Threshold (PPT) is one of these tests and it is defined as the minimum force applied which induces pain. The measurement shall be carried out by using an algometer (pressure device that induces mechanical stimuli) is to standardize the amount of pressure applied in the neck region. The reliability of pressure pain thresholds according to raters or measurement frequencies is relatively high	Change from baseline and immediately post-intervention

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Electrodermal Activity	Electrodermal Activity will be measured through the use of two electrodes that recorded changes in conductance through the skin located at the back of the dominant hand	Change in electrodermal activity after 5 minutes post-intervention
Visual and Kinesthetic Motor Imagery Ability	Visual and Kinesthetic Motor Imagery Ability will be measured with Movement Imagery Questionnaire-Revised (MIQ-R). MIQ-R has four movements repeated in two subscales, a visual and a kinesthetic one. Additionally, a score between 1 and 7 is assigned, with 1 representing difficulty in picturing the motor image or difficulty in feeling the movement previously made, and 7 representing the maximum ease. The internal consistencies of the MIQ-R have been consistently adequate with Cronbach's α coefficients ranging above 0.84 for the total scale, 0.80 for de visual subscale and 0.84 for the kinesthetic subscale (Campos & González, 2010).	Immediately before the intervention
The degree of physical activity	The degree of physical activity was objectified through the The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) questionnaire, which allows the subjects to be divided into three groups according to their level of activity, which can be high, moderate, and low or inactive. The IPAQ consists of 7 questions about the frequency, duration and intensity of activity (moderate and intense) performed in the last seven days, as well as walking and sitting time on a workday. The IPAQ scoring protocol assigns the following MET values to walking, moderate, and vigorous intensity activity: 3.3 METs, 4.0 METs, and 8.0 METs, respectively.	Immediately before the intervention
Kinesiophobia	Fear of movement or kinesiophobia will be quantified with the Spanish version of the Kinesiophobia Tampa Scale (TSK-11). This instrument demonstrates reliability and validity in patients with chronic pain, being shorter than the original scale. The total score ranges from 11 to 44 points, with the highest scores indicating greater fear of a new injury due to movement	Immediately before the intervention
Respiration Rate	Respiration Rate will be measured through a pressure transducer located in the centre of the chest, where it was fixed by a strap	Change in electrodermal activity after 5 minutes post-intervention
Respiration Rate	Heart Rate will be measured by three electrodes located in the left area of the chest. One of the electrodes was placed in the middle zone while a second electrode was positioned on the lateral side, and a third one on the lower left side, below the first electrode.	Change in electrodermal activity after 5 minutes post-intervention

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Universidad Autonoma de Madrid

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): June 5, 2019
• Primary Completion (Actual): June 30, 2019
• Study Completion (Actual): July 15, 2019

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: May 20, 2019
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 20, 2019
• First Posted (Actual): May 22, 2019

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): July 23, 2019
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 19, 2019
• Last Verified: July 1, 2019

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Motor imagery; Action observation; Hypoalgesia
• Other Study ID Numbers: uammadrid8

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: No

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No