Abstract
Jeannerod reviews mental imagery in motor contexts — imagined actions recruit overlapping neural routes with executed movement, as partial simulation rather than idle fantasy.
Jeannerod, M. (1995). Neuropsychologia, 33(11), 1419–1432. DOI
Key findings
- Imagery-motor overlap — Imagined and executed movements share common neural substrates in motor and premotor systems.
- Simulation frame — Imagery behaves like offline motor simulation — timing and errors mirror real action.
- Practice without move — Mental rehearsal can prime performance when full movement is impossible.
- Not mere pictures — Motor imagery is action format, not decorative visualisation alone.
Limits
1995 review — before fine-grained modern imaging; mechanisms updated since.
Application
When you rehearse a move in your head before the room — the brain may run a partial motor simulation. See New Thought lineage.