Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39792894›Full record

Trial reportPloS one2025

Muscle relaxation enhances motor imagery capacity in people with anxiety: A randomized clinical trial.

Sara Trapero-Asenjo, Sara Fernández-Guinea, Aymeric Guillot, Daniel Pecos-Martin, Susana Nunez-Nagy

Registry-linked trialAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in PloS one, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT04973956 (Influencia de la Ansiedad en el Aprendizaje Motor de Una Tarea Manual Precisa y en la Capacidad de Imaginación Motora), which is not on this map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT04973956 nacompletednot on this map

Influencia de la Ansiedad en el Aprendizaje Motor de Una Tarea Manual Precisa y en la Capacidad de Imaginación Motora

TypeinterventionalSponsorSusana Nunez NagyRan2021 to 2022Enrolled60ConditionsAnxietyArmsRelaxation, Control
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Sara Trapero-AsenjoDepartment of Nursing and Physiotherapy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Spain.
Sara Fernández-GuineaHealth Technology Integration Research Group (GITES), Castilla-La Mancha Institute of Health Research, Toledo, Spain.ORCID 0000-0001-8529-5212
Aymeric GuillotLaboratoire Interuniversitaire de Biologie de la Motricité, UCBL-Lyon 1, UR 7424, Universite Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, France.
Daniel Pecos-MartinDepartment of Nursing and Physiotherapy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Spain.
Susana Nunez-NagyDepartment of Nursing and Physiotherapy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Spain.ORCID 0000-0001-9206-6725

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMotor imagery is the mental representation of a movement without physical execution. When motor imagery is performed to enhance motor learning and performance, participants must reach a temporal congruence between the imagined and actual movement execution. Identifying factors that can influence this capacity could enhance the effectiveness of motor imagery programs. Anxiety frequently occurs in sports and rehabilitation where motor imagery is a relevant technique. It is associated with increased muscle tension and impairs the memory processes involved in motor imagery. This study aimed to determine whether muscle relaxation before motor imagery practice can influence motor imagery capacity and temporal congruence in anxious individuals, during internal and external visual imagery, and kinesthetic imagery.

methodsA randomized clinical trial was conducted in 55 young adults (20.3±2.8 years; 40 females; 15 males) with anxiety (percentile ≥75% on the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory). 26 participants were assigned to the relaxation group and 29 to the control group through stratified randomization. Motor imagery capacity and temporal congruence were assessed using the Movement Imagery Questionnaire-3 at 2 points (t1 and t2). Between t1 and t2, participants in the relaxation group underwent abbreviated progressive relaxation training. Electrodermal activity and heart rate variability were recorded to evaluate the relaxation effect.

resultsData revealed a significant improvement in motor imagery capacity in the relaxation group, while the temporal congruence was not impaired in both groups.

conclusionPre-motor imagery muscle relaxation might improve motor imagery capacity in anxious individuals. This finding may contribute to better tailor motor imagery programs and to adjust motor imagery guidelines and recommendations for people with anxiety. This study has been registered in ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04973956).

Indexed as

AnxietyImaginationMuscle RelaxationAdolescentFemaleHeart RateHumansImagery, PsychotherapyMaleMovementRelaxation TherapyYoung Adult

Identifiers

PMID39792894
PMCPMC11723612

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Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.