Is implicit motor imagery altered in people with shoulder pain? The shoulder left/right judgement task

Implicit motor imagery performance is altered in a variety of chronic pain conditions, but it is not known whether this is the case in shoulder pain. The aim of this study was to assess implicit motor imagery performance, using a valid and reliable shoulder left/right judgement task in people with shoulder pain. Cross-sectional observational study. Participants with (n = 369) and without (n = 747) shoulder pain completed the shoulder left/right judgement task (LRJT). Response times (RT), accuracy were determined. Age, gender, hand dominance, current pain intensity, Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI) and pain duration recorded. Planned analysis included ANOVAs for current pain, RT and accuracy. Gender and hand dominance distribution were similar between groups (p > 0.5). The shoulder pain participants were older, mean age (SD); 47(14)years, than the control group; 41(14)years, p