The visual observation of a complex movement improves its execution by an observer

Abstract

The visual observation (VO) of a motor action has been shown to activate areas of the motor cortex similar to those that are functional during the actual execution of the action. Following the hypothesis that such an effect might result in the improvement of a motor action, the present experiments were performed to show whether the VO of a complex motor action (a squat vertical jump, SVJ) might result in an improvement of a similar movement in an observer.Three groups of 7 male subjects each were asked to just execute SVJ (references, group G1) or to execute the same action after VO of 1 SVJ performed on a video screen (G2) or of 2 videos (executing the same action asynchronously and on the same screen, G3). The test was repeated twice/week (wk) during 6 wks. The results showed slight, not significant changes in G1. When the height values were normalized to a control SVJ (executed in all groups before VO, except references who did no VO) the performance increased, in G3, from 1.8% to a maximum of 4.4% after 5 weeks (not significantly). In G2a significant improvement reached 12.9% after 4 wks from an initial 8.6%. It was further observed that all groups increased the actual values of the SVJs heights as function of time. Thus G1 went from 30.5cm to 31cm (not significant), G2 from 29.2cm to 31.7cm and G3 from 29.8cm to 33.9cm probably indicating a motor learning effect as also show by the flattening of the curves after 6-7 wks. The results show for the first time: a. the possibility that VO of a SVJ may improve the execution of the same jump of an observer, b. the possibility that an increase in stimuli (2 videos) may further increase the motor performance.