Motor Imagery Training

This study aims to compare the effects of graded motor imagery and task-oriented exercise training in individuals with shoulder impingement syndrome. A total of 66 participants aged 25-65 years will be randomly assigned to one of three groups: conventional physiotherapy, graded motor imagery, or task-oriented exercise training. All groups will receive standardized electrotherapy, while the intervention groups will additionally complete 6-week graded motor imagery or task-oriented exercise programs. Primary outcomes include pain intensity, shoulder range of motion, muscle strength, proprioception, functional status, kinesiophobia, laterality recognition, movement imagery ability, and patient satisfaction. Assessments will be conducted before and after the intervention by the same physiotherapist. The study aims to determine whether motor imagery-based or task-oriented rehabilitation provides additional benefits compared with conventional physiotherapy in individuals with shoulder impingement syndrome.

Action observation (AO) and motor imagery (MI) interventions are frequently employed both in the rehabilitation process following orthopedic injuries and surgeries, with aims such as reducing pain and increasing joint range of motion, as well as in the rehabilitation of neurological disorders to restore motor functions and achieve functional independence. In recent years, it has been demonstrated that AO and MI training can exert positive effects on motor performance and neurophysiological activation. Notably, when AO and MI training are applied in combination, it has been suggested that they produce a more pronounced impact on motor performance and support motor learning processes. The effects of these techniques have generally been evaluated following long-term interventions, and there is limited data in the literature regarding their effects after a single session. Furthermore, it has been shown in the literature that action observation and motor imagery training can elicit cortical activation. However, current scientific evidence concerning the peripheral effects of these interventions remains limited. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to investigate the acute effects of a single session of action observation and motor imagery training on upper extremity balance, muscle oxygenation, and fatigue in asymptomatic young adult males