Aymeric Guillot

Claude Bernard University Lyon 1 | UCBL · Laboratoire Interuniversitaire de Biologie de la Motricité (LIBM)

Motor imagery (MI) is the mental representation of a movement without its execution. It activates internal representations of the movement without external stimulus through different memory‐related processes. Although acute stress is frequent in the population and affects supraspinal structures essential for memory functionality, it is still unknow...

Purpose The perception of effort exerts influence in determining task failure during endurance performance. Training interventions blending physical and cognitive tasks yielded promising results in enhancing performance. Motor imagery can decrease the perception of effort. Whether combining motor imagery and physical training improves endurance rem...

Limb movement direction can be inferred from local field potentials in motor cortex during movement execution. Yet, it remains unclear to what extent intended hand movements can be predicted from brain activity recorded during movement planning. Here, we set out to probe the directional-tuning of oscillatory features during motor planning and execu...

Background The therapeutic benefits of motor imagery (MI) are now well-established in different populations of persons suffering from central nervous system impairments. However, research on similar efficacy of MI interventions after amputation remains scarce, and experimental studies were primarily designed to explore the effects of MI after upper...

The mental production of speech or "inner speech" is a remarkable and foundational ability in humans, involved in many activities such as reading, writing, planning, or remembering. Inner speech is generally accompanied by a subjective multisensory (mainly auditory) experience. However, the cognitive and neural processes leading to these sensory pe...

Introduction : L'imagerie motrice (IM) est une technique mentale utilisée pour optimiser l'apprentissage, améliorer les performances motrices et faciliter la rééducation. Cependant, la capacité et la vivacité de l'IM peuvent être affectées par les modulations circadiennes. En effet, parmi les recommandations, l'IM devrait idéalement être pratiquée...

Motor imagery (MI) training is used to improve motor performance in both patients and athletes. The putative link between personality and MI remains however largely underexplored. In this pilot study, 72 sports students performed MI and physical execution of a finger pointing task. MI ability was assessed through the mental chronometry paradigm tha...

Motor imagery can, similarly to physical practice, improve motor performance through experience-based plasticity. Using magnetoencephalography, we investigated changes in brain activity associated with offline consolidation of motor sequence learning through physical practice or motor imagery. After an initial training session with either physical...

Endurance sports require the sustained maintenance of high effort until the point of task failure. Psychological factors, particularly the perception of effort, exert considerable influence in determining task failure. Training interventions that blend physical and cognitive tasks yielded promising results in enhancing endurance performance. Motor...

Limb movement direction can be inferred from motor cortex activity. In humans, such decoding has been predominantly demonstrated using the spectral power of electrophysiological signals recorded in sensorimotor areas during movement execution. Yet, it remains unclear to what extent intended hand movement direction can be predicted from brain signal...

Introduction There is compelling evidence that motor imagery (MI) contributes to improve muscle strength. While strong effects have been observed for finger muscles, only few experiments with moderate benefits were conducted within applied settings targeting large upper or lower limb muscles. The aim of the present study was therefore to extend the...

Background: Manual massage (MM) interventions can improve psychophysiological states of relaxation and well-being. In this context, robotic massage (RM) represents a promising, but currently understudied, solution. Hypothesis: Both MM and RM would improve flexibility of the hamstrings and lumbopelvic muscles and promote a psychophysiological sta...

In the present study, we examined the development of mental fatigue during the kinesthetic motor imagery (MI) of isometric force contractions performed with the dominant upper limb. Participants (n = 24) underwent four blocks of 20 MI trials of isometric contractions at 20% of the maximal voluntary contraction threshold (20% MVCMI) and 20 MI trials...

1) Background: Motor imagery (MI) is relevantly used to improve motor performance and promote rehabilitation. As MI ability and vividness can be affected by circadian modulation, it has been proposed that MI should ideally be performed between 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Whether such a recommendation remains effective in a hot and humid environment, such as...

Brain activations elicited during motor imagery (MI) in experts are typically reduced compared to novices, which is interpreted as a neurophysiological correlate of increased neural efficiency. However, the modulatory effects of MI speed on expertise-related differences in brain activation remains largely unknown. In the present pilot study, we com...

The present study aimed at investigating the influence of personality on both anticipatory stress vulnerability and the effectiveness of coping strategies in an occupational stressful context. Following assessment of individual personality traits (Big Five Inventory), 147 volunteers were exposed to the anticipation of a stressful event. Anxiety and...

Background Motor imagery practice (MIP) and anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (a-tDCS) are innovative methods with independent positive influence on motor sequence learning (MSL) in older adults. Objective The present study investigated the effect of MIP combined with a-tDCS over the primary motor cortex (M1) on the learning of a fing...

The neurophysiological processes underlying the priming effects of motor imagery (MI) on force performance remain poorly understood. Here, we tested whether the priming effects of embedded MI practice involved short-term changes in corticomotor connectivity. In a within-subjects counterbalanced experimental design, participants (n = 20) underwent a...

Over the last three decades, a large amount of experimental research aimed at determining the optimal motor imagery practice guidelines, and provided a comprehensive overview of the main recommendations to develop effective interventions. Yet, the scientific literature paid little attention to transfer effects resulting from motor imagery practice....

Objective: The present study aimed at investigating the influence of personality on both anticipatory stress vulnerability and effectiveness of coping strategies in a real-life context. Methods: Following assessment of individual personality traits (Big Five Inventory), 147 volunteers were exposed to the anticipation of a stressful event. Anxiety a...

Background Active participation in high-fidelity simulation remains stressful for residents. Increased stress levels elicited during such simulation impacts performance. We tested whether relaxing breathing, paired or not with cardiac biofeedback, could lead to enhanced performance of residents during simulation. Methods This randomized pilot stud...

Covert speech is accompanied by a subjective multisensory experience with auditory and kinaesthetic components. An influential hypothesis states that these sensory percepts result from a simulation of the corresponding motor action that relies on the same internal models recruited for the control of overt speech. This simulationist view raises the...

Purpose: Brazilian jiu-jitsu is a martial art emphasizing ground combat with multiple ramifications to self-defense and military training. Some Brazilian jiu-jitsu athletes prefer fighting on their back (Guardadors), while others preferentially adopt a standing or kneeling position (Passadors). Whether the combat scenario leading to adopt a prefer...

Motor Imagery (MI) reproduces cognitive operations associated with the actual motor preparation and execution. Postural recordings during MI reflect somatic motor commands targeting peripheral effectors involved in balance control. However, how these relate to the actual motor expertise and may vary along with the MI modality remains debated. In th...

There is now ample evidence that motor imagery contributes to improve motor performance and promote motor learning and recovery. During the last decades, a large number of experimental studies and imagery frameworks were designed to determine the critical key components for effective imagery interventions. The extent to which athletes often move sl...

Covert speech is accompanied by a subjective multisensory experience with auditory and kinaesthetic components. An influential hypothesis states that these sensory percepts result from a simulation of the corresponding motor action that relies on the same internal models recruited for the control of overt speech. This simulationnist view raises the...

French translation and validation of the Movement Imagery Questionnaire-3 second version(MIQ-3Sf). Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies. Le questionnaire vous est proposé dans le document Questionnaire en Imagerie du Mouvement 3 seconde version adaptée (MIQ-3Sf) Instructions Ce questionnaire envisage trois façons de se représenter mentalem...

Introduction. Motor imagery (MI) can be defined as the mental simulation of an action without performing it. Its effectiveness can be substantially influenced by imagery ability, and it is currently accepted that three main modalities are used in MI (kinaesthetic imagery, and internal or external visual imageries). In the context of rehabilitation,...

Background: Previous studies have identified the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) as a core region in cognitive emotional regulation. Transcranial direct current stimulations of the dlPFC (tDCS) and heart-rate variability biofeedback (BFB) are known to regulate emotional processes. However, the effect of these interventions applied either al...

Motor imagery (MI) is usually facilitated when performed in a congruent body position to the imagined movement, as well as after actual execution (AE). A lower-limb amputation (LLA) results in important structural and functional changes in the sensorimotor system, which can alter MI. In this study, we investigated the effects of body position and A...

The present double-blinded, randomized controlled study sought to compare the effects of a full-body manual massage (MM) and a foam rolling (FR) intervention on subjective and objective indexes of performance and well-being. A total of 65 healthy individuals were randomly allocated to an FR, MM, or a control group who received a cognitively oriente...

Motor imagery (MI) shares psychological and physiological similarities with the physical practice of the same action. Yet, it remains unclear whether fatigue elicited by exercise is likely to affect MI ability. Fourteen participants performed MI of a self-paced walking sequence of 22 m before and after a resistance exercise eliciting selective musc...

Background: In sports, the risk of pathology or event that leads to an injury, a cessation of practice or even to an immobilization is high. The subsequent reduction of physical activity, or hypoactivity, induces neural and muscular changes that adversely affect motor skills and functional motor rehabilitation. Because the implementation of physic...

Introduction. L'imagerie motrice (IM) est un processus conscient consistant à simuler mentalement une action motrice sans exécution réelle [1]. L’IM a montré des effets bénéfiques dans différents domaines comme l’apprentissage, la performance motrice, ou la réadaptation [2]. Cependant, son efficacité peut être influencée par la capacité d'imagerie...

Motor imagery (MI) is known to engage motor networks and is increasingly used as a relevant strategy in functional rehabilitation following immobilization, whereas its effects when applied during immobilization remain underexplored. Here, we hypothesized that MI practice during 11 h of arm-immobilization prevents immobilization-related changes at t...

Background Self-myofascial release is an emerging technique in strength and conditioning. Yet, there is no consensus regarding optimal practice guidelines. Here, we investigated the acute effects of various foam rolling interventions targeting quadriceps muscles, with or without sliding pressures. Methods We conducted a blinded randomized control...

Anticipating a stressful situation involves psychophysiological reactions before the occurrence of the overt stress event. The current challenge in the stress domain is to characterize anticipatory stress reactions and how to effectively modulate them. The present study aimed to characterize the anticipation period and evaluate the benefits of a he...

Background Self-administered massage interventions with a roller massager are commonly used as part of warm-ups and post-workout recovery routines. There is yet no clear consensus regarding the practical guidelines for efficient embedded interventions. Objectives The present randomized crossover pilot trial aimed at examining the effects of a roll...

Manual massage and foam rolling are commonly used by athletes for warm-up and recovery, as well as by healthy individuals for well-being. Manual massage is an ancient practice requiring the intervention of an experienced physiotherapist, while foam rolling is a more recent self-administered technique. These two topics have been largely studied in i...

The human imagination manifests in countless different forms. We imagine the possible and the impossible. How do we do this so effortlessly? Why did the capacity for imagination evolve and manifest with undeniably manifold complexity uniquely in human beings? This handbook reflects on such questions by collecting perspectives on imagination from lea...

Motor imagery (MI) is known to engage motor networks and could compensate for the maladaptive neuroplasticity elicited by immobilization. This hypothesis and associated underlying neural mechanisms remain underexplored. Here, we investigated how MI practice during 11 h of arm-immobilization influences sensorimotor and cortical representations of th...

Background: High fidelity simulation (HFS) remains stressful for residents. This stress level negatively impacts performance not only in HFS but most likely also in clinical practice. Thus, stress management with standardized breathing and biofeedback exercise might help participants to improve performance. This study explored whether these methods...

Despite being the focus of a thriving field of research, the biological mechanisms that underlie information integration in the brain are not yet fully understood. A theory that has gained a lot of traction in recent years suggests that multi-scale integration is regulated by a hierarchy of mutually interacting neural oscillations. In particular, t...

Abstract Understanding human anatomy requires several mental and motor processes: i) mental imagery: the ability to mentally represent a physical object, a concept or a situation; ii) mental rotation: the ability to mentally turn the image of an object in the three space planes; iii) motor imagery: the ability to imagine a human movement without a...

Purpose: The ability to perform motor imagery (MI) might be impaired by the physical fatigue elicited during training. Interestingly, there is also theoretical support for a more limited influence of fatigue in the existing literature. Method: We evaluated MI ability before and after two exercise protocols: (i) a continuous exercise of 20 min perfo...

Objectives: Imagery ability is a variable influencing the effectiveness of imagery practice that can be estimated by means of questionnaires. Among them, the Movement Imagery Questionnaire-Revised, translated and validated in French, is widely used by French speakers. However, it does not allow for the distinction between the two visual imagery per...

Mental practice (MP) is a reliable alternative or complement to physical practice (PP) for the training of postural control. We address how MP should ideally be combined with PP. Participants were assigned to four experimental groups where MP/PP ratios during training varied from 0 to 100%. Performance improved only for demanding postural adjustmen...

When you suddenly understand how to solve a problem through an original and efficient strategy, you experience the so-called “Eureka” effect. The appearance of insight usually occurs after setting the problem aside for a brief period of time (i.e. incubation), thereby promoting unconscious and novel associations on problem-related representations l...

Backgroud: There is now ample evidence that motor imagery contributes to enhance motor learning and promote motor recovery in patients with motor disorders. Whether motor imagery practice is likely to facilitate mobility in patients suffering from knee osteoarthritis, at 6-months after total knee arthroplasty, remains unknown. Aim: This trial wa...

Background: Acquisition and consolidation of a new motor skill occurs gradually over long time span. Motor imagery (MI) and brain stimulation have been showed as beneficial approaches that boost motor learning, but little is known about the extent of their combined effects. Objective: Here, we aimed to investigate, for the first time, whether deliv...

Action observation (AO) alone or combined with motor imagery (AO + MI) has been shown to engage the motor system. While recent findings support the potential relevance of both techniques to enhance muscle function, this issue has received limited scientific scrutiny. In the present study, we implemented a counterbalanced conditions design where 21...

We aimed at studying the effect of Motor Imagery (MI), i.e., the mental representation of a movement without executing it, on breath-holding performance. Classical guidelines for efficient MI interventions advocate for a congruent MI practice with regards to the requirements of the physical performance, specifically in terms of physiological arousa...

Motor imagery (MI) is arguably one of the most remarkable capacities of the human mind. There is now strong experimental evidence that MI contributes to substantial improvements in motor learning and performance. The therapeutic benefits of MI in promoting motor recovery among patients with motor impairments have also been reported. Despite promisi...

We present Visbrain, a Python open-source package that offers a comprehensive visualization suite for neuroimaging and electrophysiological brain data. Visbrain consists of two levels of abstraction: 1) objects which represent highly configurable neuro-oriented visual primitives (3D brain, sources connectivity, etc.) and 2) graphical user interface...

Both foam rolling and joint distraction training with elastic bands are very popular interventions designed to improve muscular function, motor performance, and joint range of motion, as well as to reduce feeling of fatigue and delayed onset of muscle soreness. The heterogeneity of methods used among studies however prevents from drawing firm concl...

Motor imagery has been central to advances in sport performance and rehabilitation. Neuroscience has provided techniques for measurement which have aided our understanding, conceptualization and theorizing. Challenges remain in the appropriate measurement of motor imagery. Motor imagery continues to provide an impetus for new findings relating to o...

Limb immobilization paradigms are increasingly used to investigate changes in brain plasticity and support potential rehabilitation techniques that might help counteract motor impairments. Yet, it remains unclear how unilateral arm immobilization may influence the sensorimotor representation and functional output for both arms. Using a randomized c...

Motor imagery contributes to enhance the (re)learning of motor skills through remapping of cortical networks. Combining motor imagery with anodal transcranial direct-current stimulation (a-tDCS) over the primary motor cortex has further been shown to promote its beneficial effects on postural control. Whether motor imagery should be performed conco...

The critical importance of the start phase in bicycle motocross (BMX) racing is increasingly acknowledged. Past experiments underlined that the internal lane of the starting gate provides a strong positional advantage. However, how lane position affects start performance and cognitive and somatic state anxiety remains unexplored. We examined the st...

Motor imagery has been central to adzvances in sport performance and rehabilitation. Neuroscience has provided techniques for measurement which have aided our understanding, conceptualization and theorizing. Challenges remain in the appropriate measurement of motor imagery. Motor imagery continues to provide an impetus for new findings relating to...

Purpose: The aim of this study was to measure physical and functional outcomes during the acute postoperative recovery in patients who underwent total knee arthroplasty. Motor imagery has been shown to decrease pain and promote functional recovery after both neurological and peripheral injuries. Yet, whether motor imagery can be included as an adju...