Effects of Motor Imagery and Action Observation Training on Pain Perception in Patients With Chronic Neck Pain

Universidad Autonoma de Madrid

Status: Completed

Conditions: Pain, Chronic

Treatments: Behavioral: Motor imagery; Behavioral: Action Observation; Behavioral: Placebo Action observation

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03905577

uamadrid7

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study evaluates the influence of motor imagery or action observation training on pain perception in patients with chronic neck pain. Perception of pain will be measured by the pain pressure threshold.

A group of patients will receive an action observation training of neck movements, another will receive a protocol of motor imagery of the same movements and the last group will be a placebo group, through the viewing of a documentary video.

Full description

Motor imagery is defined as a dynamic mental process of an action, without its real motor execution. Action observation training consists of watching an action performed by someone else. Both motor imagery and action observation have been shown to produce a neurophysiological activation of the brain areas related to the planning and execution of voluntary movement in a manner that resembles how the action is performed in reality.

Both motor imagery and action observation are interventions that can generate adaptive neuroplastic changes on a cortical level, leading to a decrease in chronic pain. These rehabilitation techniques are used in pain treatment and impaired movement injuries that could be due to a nervous system alteration.

The effectiveness of motor imagery is controversial; several studies have presented unfavorable outcomes from this technique. Some variables, such as the duration of the sessions, the time employed the type of motor task or the number of sessions can influence the outcomes of these studies. Thus, it is necessary to clarify the controversial aspects of motor imagery, which lead us to perform this study.

Enrollment: 30 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 65 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Men and women aged between 18 and 65 years
• Medical diagnosis of non specific chronic neck pain with more than 6 months of evolution of neck pain

Exclusion criteria

• Patients with rheumatic diseases, cervical hernia, cervical whiplash syndrome, neck surgeries o a history of arthrodesis
• Systemic diseases
• Vision, hearing or vestibular problems
• Severe trauma or a traffic accident that had an impact on the cervical area.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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30 participants in 3 patient groups, including a placebo group

Action Observation

Experimental group

Description:

This group receives an action observation training through the visualization of a video of cervical movements.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Action Observation

Motor Imagery

Experimental group

Description:

This group receives an motor imagery through the imagery process of cervical movements.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Motor imagery

Placebo Group

Placebo Comparator group

Description:

This group receives a placebo action observation training through the visualization of a video of a documentary video

Treatment:

Behavioral: Placebo Action observation