Marijtje Jongsma

The atypical development of motor imagery: neural correlates and therapeutical applications

Motor imagery (MI) is a fundamental topic that relates the study of cognition with action and the brain. Despite MI being a well-established phenomenon in adults, the (a)typical development of MI and use as a cognitive intervention in children with Cerebral Palsy (CP) remains largely unknown. We propose to study MI to uncover the developmental relationship between cognition, action (i.e., motor planning and execution), and the brain (EEG/ERP) in typically developing children and children with CP (5-10 years). The overall aim is to advance our insight in the role of MI for motor development and its potential for early cognitive intervention to treat developmental motor disorders. The findings will have far-reaching implications for theories of cognitive development, motor development, and learning. Next to these academic contributions the research will benefit the application of MI as a neuroscience-based rehabilitation technique in young children with developmental disorders.