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Knöbel S, Borchert A, Gatzmaga N, Heilmann F, Musculus L, Laborde S, Lautenbach F. The impact of soccer-specific psychophysiological stress on inhibition and cognitive flexibility in elite youth players. PSYCHOLOGY OF SPORT AND EXERCISE 2024; 74:102682. [PMID: 38821249 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychsport.2024.102682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/02/2024]
Abstract
While researchers and practitioners attribute an essential role to executive functions (EFs) for soccer performance, the usefulness of respective diagnostics and the predictive value remain unclear. One limitation restricting the translation and relevance of study results to improve actual game performance is the insufficient consideration of competitive conditions. Thus, this study aimed to conduct soccer-specific cognitive diagnostics under a soccer-specific psychophysiological stress condition, mimicing the demands of a competitive game. A total of 92 (Mage = 15.17, SDage = 1.45) youth elite players performed tests for inhibition (flanker task) or cognitive flexibility (number-letter task) with a soccer-specific motor response (i.e., pass into goals). After a pre-test in a neutral condition, players were randomly assigned to a neutral (moderate soccer-specific exercise) or a stress condition (physical stress and competitive instructions and filming for psychological stress). Objective (i.e., cortisol, heart rate variability) and subjective stress-related measures (i.e., SAM, VAS) were assessed six times throughout experimental procedure. Analyses revealed significant interaction effects between time and condition for all objective and subjective variables indicating a successful experimental stress induction. For cognitive performance, results revealed significant main effects of time, but no significant interaction effects between time and condition. However, descriptive statistics suggested improved performance under stress, with decreased flanker effect and switch costs. Additionally, response time variability in the flanker task significantly decreased in the stress condition. These findings offer insights into individual stress perception and processing under game-related psychophysiological demands, expanding previous research on situational EF alterations that also hold relevance for applied practitioners.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Knöbel
- Leipzig University, Faculty of Sport Science, Chair of Sport Psychology, Jahnallee 59, 04109, Leipzig, Germany; Sport Psychology, Institute of Sport Science, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Philippstraße 13, 10115, Berlin, Germany.
| | - A Borchert
- RasenBallsport Leipzig GmbH, Cottaweg 3, 04177, Leipzig, Germany.
| | - N Gatzmaga
- RasenBallsport Leipzig GmbH, Cottaweg 3, 04177, Leipzig, Germany.
| | - F Heilmann
- Movement Science Lab, Institute of Sport Science, Martin-Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Von-Seckendorff-Platz 2, 06120, Halle, Saale, Germany.
| | - L Musculus
- German Sport University Cologne, Institute of Psychology, Dept. Performance Psychology, Am Sportpark Müngersdorf 6, 50933, Cologne, Germany.
| | - S Laborde
- German Sport University Cologne, Institute of Psychology, Dept. Performance Psychology, Am Sportpark Müngersdorf 6, 50933, Cologne, Germany.
| | - F Lautenbach
- Sport Psychology, Institute of Sport Science, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Philippstraße 13, 10115, Berlin, Germany.
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Wilkerson GB, Fleming LR, Adams VP, Petty RJ, Carlson LM, Hogg JA, Acocello SN. Assessment and Training of Perceptual-Motor Function: Performance of College Wrestlers Associated with History of Concussion. Brain Sci 2024; 14:68. [PMID: 38248283 PMCID: PMC10813796 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci14010068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Concussion may affect sport performance capabilities related to the visual perception of environmental events, rapid decision-making, and the generation of effective movement responses. Immersive virtual reality (VR) offers a means to quantify, and potentially enhance, the speed, accuracy, and consistency of responses generated by integrated neural processes. A cohort of 24 NCAA Division I male wrestlers completed VR assessments before and after a 3-week VR training program designed to improve their perceptual-motor performance. Prior to training, the intra-individual variability (IIV) among 40 successive task trials for perceptual latency (i.e., time elapsed between visual stimulus presentation and the initiation of movement response) demonstrated strong discrimination between 10 wrestlers who self-reported a history of concussion from 14 wrestlers who denied ever having sustained a concussion (Area Under Curve ≥ 0.750 for neck, arm, and step movements). Natural log transformation improved the distribution normality of the IIV values for both perceptual latency and response time (i.e., time elapsed between visual stimulus presentation and the completion of movement response). The repeated measures ANOVA results demonstrated statistically significant (p < 0.05) pre- and post-training differences between groups for the IIV in perceptual latency and the IIV in response time for neck, arm, and step movements. Five of the six IIV metrics demonstrated a statistically significant magnitude of change for both groups, with large effect sizes. We conclude that a VR assessment can detect impairments in perceptual-motor performance among college wrestlers with a history of concussion. Although significant post-training group differences were evident, VR training can yield significant performance improvements in both groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gary B. Wilkerson
- Department of Health & Human Performance, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Chattanooga, TN 37403, USA; (L.M.C.); (J.A.H.); (S.N.A.)
| | - Lexi R. Fleming
- Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, Lincoln Memorial University, Harrogate, TN 37752, USA;
| | - Victoria P. Adams
- Sports Medicine Outreach Program, Piedmont Physicians Athens Regional Medical Center, Watkinsville, GA 30677, USA;
| | - Richard J. Petty
- Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Chattanooga, TN 37403, USA;
| | - Lynette M. Carlson
- Department of Health & Human Performance, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Chattanooga, TN 37403, USA; (L.M.C.); (J.A.H.); (S.N.A.)
| | - Jennifer A. Hogg
- Department of Health & Human Performance, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Chattanooga, TN 37403, USA; (L.M.C.); (J.A.H.); (S.N.A.)
| | - Shellie N. Acocello
- Department of Health & Human Performance, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Chattanooga, TN 37403, USA; (L.M.C.); (J.A.H.); (S.N.A.)
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Sacca V, Wen Y, Hodges S, Kong J. Modulation effects of repeated transcranial direct current stimulation on the dorsal attention and frontal parietal networks and its association with placebo and nocebo effects. Neuroimage 2023; 284:120433. [PMID: 37939891 PMCID: PMC10768876 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Revised: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 10/28/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Literature suggests that attention is a critical cognitive process for pain perception and modulation and may play an important role in placebo and nocebo effects. Here, we investigated how repeated transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) applied at the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) for three consecutive days can modulate the brain functional connectivity (FC) of two networks involved in cognitive control: the frontoparietal network (FPN) and dorsal attention network (DAN), and its association with placebo and nocebo effects. 81 healthy subjects were randomized to three groups: anodal, cathodal, and sham tDCS. Resting state fMRI scans were acquired pre- and post- tDCS on the first and third day of tDCS. An Independent Component Analysis (ICA) was performed to identify the FPN and DAN. ANCOVA was applied for group analysis. Compared to sham tDCS, 1) both cathodal and anodal tDCS increased the FC between the DAN and right parietal operculum; cathodal tDCS also increased the FC between the DAN and right postcentral gyrus; 2) anodal tDCS led to an increased FC between the FPN and right parietal operculum, while cathodal tDCS was associated with increased FC between the FPN and left superior parietal lobule/precuneus; 3) the FC increase between the DAN and right parietal operculum was significantly correlated to the placebo analgesia effect in the cathodal group. Our findings suggest that both repeated cathodal and anodal tDCS could modulate the FC of two important cognitive brain networks (DAN and FPN), which may modulate placebo / nocebo effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Sacca
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Ya Wen
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Sierra Hodges
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Jian Kong
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA.
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Wilkerson GB, Lansey JC, Noblett CN, Sarris CE. Test-Retest Reliability of Immersive Virtual Reality Measures of Perceptual-Motor Performance. Percept Mot Skills 2023; 130:2484-2504. [PMID: 37776022 DOI: 10.1177/00315125231205322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/01/2023]
Abstract
The duration, accuracy, and consistency of responses to various types of stimuli are widely accepted as indirect indicators of the efficiency of brain information processing, but current clinical tests appear to lack sufficient sensitivity to detect subtle impairments. Immersive virtual reality (VR) offers a new means to acquire measures of perceptual-motor responses to moving visual stimuli that require rapid conflict resolution, but their test-retest reliability has not yet been demonstrated. Repeated measures. We analyzed data from 19 healthy young adults who performed a 40-trial VR test on three consecutive days. We focused on response time (RT) and perceptual latency (PL) for eye, neck, arm, and whole-body step displacements involved in executing a reaching/lunging movement in a right or left direction toward a peripherally located virtual target. Measures of RT and PL included a 40-trial mean, an intra-individual variability (IIV) value, and a rate correct score (RCS) that incorporated both response duration and accuracy. Most mean and IIV values for PL and RT demonstrated a positive distributional skew that was substantially reduced by natural logarithm transformation. While a learning effect was evident between sessions 1 and 2 for 7 of 8 mean PL and RT measures, 3-session intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) values were moderate to excellent for 15 of 16 transformed PL and RT measures (range: .618 to .922). The composite RCS metric did not require transformation for either PL or RT, whose respective 3-session ICC values were .877 and .851. This moderate to excellent test-retest reliability for various VR measures of perceptual-motor function, combined with evidence of their validity from both past and future research, suggest that these measures can advance clinical detection of impaired brain processing and longitudinal assessments of potentially modifiable performance deficiencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gary B Wilkerson
- Graduate Athletic Training Program, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Chattanooga, TN, USA
| | | | - Courtney N Noblett
- Graduate Athletic Training Program, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Chattanooga, TN, USA
| | - Caroline E Sarris
- Graduate Athletic Training Program, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Chattanooga, TN, USA
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Breault MS, Sacré P, Fitzgerald ZB, Gale JT, Cullen KE, González-Martínez JA, Sarma SV. Internal states as a source of subject-dependent movement variability are represented by large-scale brain networks. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7837. [PMID: 38030611 PMCID: PMC10687170 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43257-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Humans' ability to adapt and learn relies on reflecting on past performance. These experiences form latent representations called internal states that induce movement variability that improves how we interact with our environment. Our study uncovered temporal dynamics and neural substrates of two states from ten subjects implanted with intracranial depth electrodes while they performed a goal-directed motor task with physical perturbations. We identified two internal states using state-space models: one tracking past errors and the other past perturbations. These states influenced reaction times and speed errors, revealing how subjects strategize from trial history. Using local field potentials from over 100 brain regions, we found large-scale brain networks such as the dorsal attention and default mode network modulate visuospatial attention based on recent performance and environmental feedback. Notably, these networks were more prominent in higher-performing subjects, emphasizing their role in improving motor performance by regulating movement variability through internal states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Macauley Smith Breault
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Pierre Sacré
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, School of Engineering, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Zachary B Fitzgerald
- Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | | | - Kathleen E Cullen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - Sridevi V Sarma
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Li Y, Zhao M, Cao Y, Gao Y, Wang Y, Yun B, Luo L, Liu W, Zheng C. Static and dynamic resting-state brain activity patterns of table tennis players in 7-Tesla MRI. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1202932. [PMID: 37521699 PMCID: PMC10375049 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1202932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Table tennis involves quick and accurate motor responses during training and competition. Multiple studies have reported considerably faster visuomotor responses and expertise-related intrinsic brain activity changes among table tennis players compared with matched controls. However, the underlying neural mechanisms remain unclear. Herein, we performed static and dynamic resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) analyses of 20 table tennis players and 21 control subjects using 7T ultra-high field imaging. We calculated the static and dynamic amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) of the two groups. The results revealed that table tennis players exhibited decreased static ALFF in the left inferior temporal gyrus (lITG) compared with the control group. Voxel-wised static functional connectivity (sFC) and dynamic functional connectivity (dFC) analyses using lITG as the seed region afforded complementary and overlapping results. The table tennis players exhibited decreased sFC in the right middle temporal gyrus and left inferior parietal gyrus. Conversely, they displayed increased dFC from the lITG to prefrontal cortex, particularly the left middle frontal gyrus, left superior frontal gyrus-medial, and left superior frontal gyrus-dorsolateral. These findings suggest that table tennis players demonstrate altered visuomotor transformation and executive function pathways. Both pathways involve the lITG, which is a vital node in the ventral visual stream. These static and dynamic analyses provide complementary and overlapping results, which may help us better understand the neural mechanisms underlying the changes in intrinsic brain activity and network organization induced by long-term table tennis skill training.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuyang Li
- Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology of Zhejiang Province, Interdisciplinary Institute of Neuroscience and Technology, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Mengqi Zhao
- School of Psychology, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
- Key Laboratory of Intelligent Education Technology and Application of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
| | - Yuting Cao
- Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology of Zhejiang Province, Interdisciplinary Institute of Neuroscience and Technology, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Biomedical Engineering and Instrument Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yanyan Gao
- School of Psychology, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
- Key Laboratory of Intelligent Education Technology and Application of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
| | - Yadan Wang
- College of Information and Electronic Technology, Jiamusi University, Jiamusi, China
| | - Bing Yun
- Department of Public Physical and Art Education, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Le Luo
- Hangzhou Wuyunshan Hospital, Hangzhou, China
| | - Wenming Liu
- Department of Sport Science, College of Education, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Chanying Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology of Zhejiang Province, Interdisciplinary Institute of Neuroscience and Technology, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Biomedical Engineering and Instrument Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
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Wang X, Liu Z, Zhang H, Ji C. Transfer Effect of Cognitive Advantages in Visual Working Memory Capacity: Evidence from Elite Football Players. Behav Sci (Basel) 2023; 13:464. [PMID: 37366716 DOI: 10.3390/bs13060464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Revised: 05/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The research has indicated that elite football players demonstrate cognitive advantages in visual working memory capacity (VWMC); however, it remains unclear whether this effect transfers to other domains cognitive advantages. OBJECT This study investigated the VWMC differences between elite football players and novices, with a particular focus on cognitive advantages. METHODS Elite football players (specialized in football) and novices were selected to complete the VWMC test task under three different stimulus conditions, then the differences in the VWMCs of elite football players and novices were analyzed. RESULTS In comparison to novices, elite football players demonstrated cognitive advantages in VWMCs, along with a possible transfer effect. Additionally, the study showed that the reaction times among elite football players and novices differed, with elite players demonstrating shorter reaction times, which is a difference that was amplified as the number of stimuli increased. CONCLUSION The VWMCs of elite football players was better than that of novices under professional and meaningless conditions, which indicates that the VWMCs of elite football players has a transfer effect. Through further analysis of the reaction times cognitive advantages, it was found that there are significant differences between elite football players and novices when responding to the stimuli in both professional and meaningless conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaomei Wang
- Physical Education Department, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819, China
| | - Zhigang Liu
- Aviation Physical Education Department, Aviation University of Air Force, Changchun 130022, China
| | - Huanyu Zhang
- Aviation Physical Education Department, Aviation University of Air Force, Changchun 130022, China
| | - Chaoxin Ji
- Physical Education Department, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819, China
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