Year: 2026 | Month: January | Volume: 16 | Issue: 1 | Pages: 289-297
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52403/ijhsr.20260134
Comparative Analysis of P300 Latency and Amplitude during Real and Imaginary Hand Movements among Healthy Adult Subjects
Dr Jitendra Kumawat1, Dr Anuradha Yadav2, Dr Preeti Sharma3
1,2,3Department of Physiology, SMS Medical College, Jaipur Rajasthan, India.
Corresponding Author: Dr Anuradha Yadav
ABSTRACT
Background: P300 is an event-related potential, and its amplitude and latency indicate the degree of cortical activation. and the speed of cognitive processing. P300 responses during both real and imaginary motor tasks can provide insight of motor control mechanisms.
Aim: Comparing P300 amplitude and latency during real versus imaginary hand movements helps to identify the differential cortical dynamics underlying motor execution and motor imagery.
Methods: An observational study was conducted on 56 healthy, right-handed male volunteers aged 18–30 years participated after providing written informed consent. Electroencephalography (EEG) was recorded during three phases: baseline, real and imaginary motor task for both hand movements. The P300 component was evaluated for amplitude and latency within the Gamma frequency band across all EEG channels during real and imaginary motor conditions. The median values with interquartile ranges (IQRs) were calculated for right and left-hand movements. Compared across baseline, real, and imaginary conditions were performed using the Kruskal–Wallis test, considering p < 0.05 statistically significant.
Results: Real hand movements elicited shorter P300 latencies across widespread parieto-occipital cortical regions, reflecting faster and broader neural engagement. Imaginary movements showed reduced latencies primarily in frontal and parietal midline regions. P300 amplitude was greater in frontal and parietal areas during real movements, whereas imaginary movements predominantly activated occipital regions.
Conclusions: Although motor imagery and motor execution share common neural pathways, their spatial and temporal activation patterns differ significantly. These findings underline the relevance of motor imagery for neurorehabilitation applications.
Key words: Cognition, Electroencephalography, Event-Related Potential, Motor Imagery, Neurorehabilitation