Candidate brain regions for motor imagery practice: a commentary on Rieger et al., 2023

The mechanism through which motor imagery practice improves motor performance remains unclear. In this special issue, Rieger et al. propose a model to explain why motor imagery practice improves motor performance. According to their model, motor imagery involves a comparison between intended and predicted action effects, allowing for the modification of the internal model upon detecting errors. I believe that the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is a candidate as a brain region responsible for comparing intended and predicted action effects. Evidence supports this hypothesis, as a previous study has observed error-related activity in the ACC preceding incorrect responses (i.e., commission errors) in the Go/No-go task (Bediou et al., 2012, Neuroimage). Therefore, the error-related activity can be induced without any feedback. This fact also sheds light on the mechanisms of brain-computer interface. I believe that this additional literature will enhance Rieger’s model.