Mental Imagery: Rehabilitation through simulation

Mental Imagery can be defined both as a reproduction of cognitive contents of the mind not actually present to sensorial perception, and as the re-elaboration and interpretation of the original perceived data. Motor and athletic rehabilitation and recovery after injuries or traumas, especially in sports, but more generally in physiotherapeutic practice, have shown to be enhanced by mental imagery processes. Mental imagery has been assumed to be essential for the acquisition of motor skills, but to also be relevant in the involutive phases of adult cognition. In fact, empirical studies indicate that different components of imagery are selectively affected by aging. This review discusses the neuropsychological bases of mental imagery, focusing on its possible applications to the rehabilitation of deficits from a variety of different causes, mental deterioration in the elderly. and how they might assist in the accurate assessment of mental imagery skills in order to design optimal learning and/or training interventions, or rehabilitation of motor gestures, are also presented.