Central Neuromuscular Reactivation Using Digital Mindfulness and Motor Imagery Intervention for Chronic Knee Pain in Patients With Obesity: Prospective, Single-Center Study Background: Chronic musculoskeletal pain (MSP), particularly in obese patients, poses significant challenges due to increased pain sensitivity, reduced mobility, and systemic inflammation. Obesity aggravates mechanical constraints on the joints and increases systemic inflammation, exacerbating certain medical conditions and making conventional therapeutic approaches less likely to succeed Conventional therapies often show limited efficacy, necessitating innovative approaches. Objective: This pilot study evaluates the short-term effectiveness of a mindfulness and motor imagery-based intervention delivered via an app, on pain, functionality, and quality of life in obese patients with chronic knee pain. Methods: A prospective, single-centre study was conducted over one month including 30 patients (BMI >30) experiencing chronic knee pain (≥3 months) without surgery needed. Patients underwent two video-guided motor imagery sessions, focusing on neuromuscular reactivation (NMR). Functional scores, including SANE, KOOS, and SF-36, were assessed pre- and post-intervention. Paired t-tests analysed score improvements, with p < 0.05 deemed significant. Results: Significant improvements were observed across all parameters. The mean overall SANE score improved by 51% (p < 0.001). The minimal clinically important difference (MCID), was therefore approximately 6.7 points. The observed mean improvement (25 points) exceeded this threshold by more than threefold, indicating a clinically meaningful improvement in functional status. The KOOS score increased by 56% (p < 0.001) from 40.89 (± 16.7) versus 63.79 (± 14.6). SF-36 scores showed substantial enhancements in both physical (from 39.7 (± 20.8) to 65.9 (± 18.8); +66%, p < 0.001) and mental components from 47.2 (± 23.1) to 64 (± 21), (+36%, p < 0.001). Patient satisfaction with this method was rated 4.5/5, and no adverse effects were reported. Conclusions: This method demonstrated significant efficacy in reducing pain and improving functionality and quality of life in obese patients with chronic knee pain. By targeting central neuromuscular circuits through guided visualization exercises, this non-invasive intervention addresses central activation dysfunction (CAD), a proposed novel concept in neuromuscular disorders which originates from hypotheses derived from clinical observations. This interesting concept requires further exploration to ensure its neurophysiological validation through future studies with larger sample sizes, control groups, and long-term follow-ups which could explore CAD as a therapeutic target.

JMIR Formative Res: Central Neuromuscular Reactivation Using Digital Mindfulness and Motor Imagery Intervention for Chronic Knee Pain in Patients With Obesity: Prospective, Single-Center Study #ChronicPain #Obesity #Mindfulness #MotorImagery #KneePain

New in PM&R:
Action observation and motor imagery accelerate recovery during hand immobilization (RCT)

Visit here: www.archives-pmr.org/article/S0003-9993(25)01...

#PMRJournal #ACRM #PMR #UpperExtremityRehab #MotorRecovery #ActionObservation #MotorImagery #ACRMJournals

New in PM&R:
Action observation and motor imagery accelerate recovery during hand immobilization (RCT)

Visit here: www.archives-pmr.org/article/S0003-9993(25)01...

#PMRJournal #ACRM #PMR #UpperExtremityRehab #MotorRecovery #ActionObservation #MotorImagery #ACRMJournals

Audiovisual e Movimento: Como o Cérebro Troca de Tarefa Enquanto Caminha

#SfN2025 #EEG #fNIRS #ERP #Hyperscanning #Neurofeedback #BCI
#EmbodiedCognition #MenteDamasiana #BodyTerritory #PertenenciaColectiva
#NeuralRecurrence #MotorImagery #InterbrainSynchrony

neuroinsight.net/blog/audiovi...

Original Research 🔍

#Motorimagery, the mental rehearsal of movement, boosts strength and power with #resistancetraining. This study shows it as a simple, low-cost tool for #coaches and #athletes to enhance #sportsperformance and #brainendurance.
👉 zurl.co/F2t08

Virtual Dance Program for Multiple Sclerosis: Feasibility, Quality of Life, and Motor Imagery Outcomes

"This study seeks to lay groundwork for #virtual [ #MultipleSclerosis] #dance programs.... We [also] investigated whether there are measurable differences in #MotorImagery ability before and after the dance intervention..."
doi.org/10.7224/1537...

New #dataset alert! 18 people, 8 #MotorImagery tasks, 5760 trials. And now we’ve got #EEG and #fNIRS data for decoding fine-grained joint movement. It’s a rich resource that may help advance #brain-computer interfaces. Details at @nature.com's #ScientificReports: bit.ly/3ZmpFYg #BCI #neurotech

Neuronal avalanches as a predictive biomarker of BCI performance- towards a tool to guide tailored training Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs) based on motor imagery (MI) hold promise for restoring control in individuals with motor impairments. However, up to 30% of users remain unable to effectively use BCIs...

Up to 30% of users struggle to operate #motorimagery BCIs. This study proposes using neuronal avalanches as biomarkers to track and predict learning success. Predictive models reached 91% accuracy, paving the way for personalized #BCI training and fewer “BCI-illiterate” users.

#Neuroskyence

#MotorImagery #BCI is like rehearsing a dance in your mind—no movement, but your brain lights up as if you’re doing it.
BCIs pick up those mental “rehearsals” and turn them into real actions, like moving a cursor or a robotic limb.

Motor imagery #BCI works by imagining movement—like closing your hand or walking—without actually doing it.
Your brain still generates distinct signals, and BCIs can learn to detect and use them.
It’s a powerful tool for rehab, prosthetics, and control systems.
#MotorImagery #Neurorehabilitation

LGL-BCI: A Motor-Imagery-Based Brain-Computer Interface with Geometric Learning Brain--computer interfaces are groundbreaking technology whereby brain signals are used to control external devices. Despite some advances in recent years, electroencephalogram (EEG)-based motor-image...

A 2025 study introduces LGL-BCI, a system using geometric deep learning to improve motor imagery BCIs.
It handles complex #EEG variations while keeping things lightweight—ideal for real-time, low-power applications like assistive tech.

🔗 arxiv.org/abs/2501.05589

#BCI
#MotorImagery
#Neurotech

A single session of motor imagery paired with spinal stimulation improves manual dexterity and increases cortical excitability after spinal cord injury Non-invasive stimulation of the spinal cord at the cervical level (TSCS) can induce neural plasticity and improve upper limb function in people living…

Weve been combining electrical stimulation of the spinal cord with other therapeutic modalities to improve function after #cervicalspinalcordinjury. This paper shows the acute effect of #motorimagery and tces to enhance function and neural plasticity.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Is it too early to start the countdown to the #RIOgroup meeting this May? Looking forward to seeing everyone and excited for trainees Kyle, Celine, Alisha, Sara, & @mattscott93.bsky.social to share what we've been working on! Five NIMBL talks, get ready folks! #motorimagery