Does sonification of action simulation training impact corticospinal excitability and audiomotor plasticity?

Main idea: the study confirms that sonification therapy (such as auditory paired associative stimulation) with and without physical exercises prevents Parkinson’s symptoms connected to motor activity.

Abstract 

Sonification is a sensory augmentation strategy whereby a sound is associated with and modulated by movement. Evidence suggests sonification could be a viable strategy to maximize learning and rehabilitation. In this study, we explored the effects of sonified action observation and motor imagery on corticospinal excitability. We also investigated the extent of practice-dependent plasticity induced by sonification. After the practice block, both groups significantly increased their cortical Spine excitability, but sonification did not exert additional benefits, compared to non-sonified conditions. It is possible that sonification of combined action observation, motor imagery, and physical imitation may not be a useful strategy to improve cortical Spine. The interaction with audiomotor practice remains unclear, and further studies are needed to explore its relationship with performance improvements.

Source Springer