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de Sampaio Barros MF, Stefano Filho CA, de Menezes LT, Araújo-Moreira FM, Trevelin LC, Pimentel Maia R, Radel R, Castellano G. Psycho-physio-neurological correlates of qualitative attention, emotion and flow experiences in a close-to-real-life extreme sports situation: low- and high-altitude slackline walking. PeerJ 2024; 12:e17743. [PMID: 39076780 PMCID: PMC11285370 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.17743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/31/2024] Open
Abstract
It has been indicated that extreme sport activities result in a highly rewarding experience, despite also providing fear, stress and anxiety. Studies have related this experience to the concept of flow, a positive feeling that individuals undergo when they are completely immersed in an activity. However, little is known about the exact nature of these experiences, and, there are still no empirical results to characterize the brain dynamics during extreme sport practice. This work aimed at investigating changes in psychological responses while recording physiological (heart rate-HR, and breathing rate-BR) and neural (electroencephalographic-EEG) data of eight volunteers, during outdoors slackline walking in a mountainous environment at two different altitude conditions (1 m-low-walk- and 45 m-high-walk-from the ground). Low-walk showed a higher score on flow scale, while high-walk displayed a higher score in the negative affect aspects, which together point to some level of flow restriction during high-walk. The order of task performance was shown to be relevant for the physiological and neural variables. The brain behavior during flow, mainly considering attention networks, displayed the stimulus-driven ventral attention network-VAN, regionally prevailing (mainly at the frontal lobe), over the goal-directed dorsal attention network-DAN. Therefore, we suggest an interpretation of flow experiences as an opened attention to more changing details in the surroundings, i.e., configured as a 'task-constantly-opened-to-subtle-information experience', rather than a 'task-focused experience'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcelo Felipe de Sampaio Barros
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar), São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil
- Laboratoire LAMHESS, Université de Nice Sophia Antipolis, Nice, Côte d’Azur, France
| | - Carlos Alberto Stefano Filho
- Neurophysics Group, Gleb Wataghin Institute of Physics, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
- Brazilian Institute of Neuroscience and Neurotechnology (BRAINN), Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Lucas Toffoli de Menezes
- Neurophysics Group, Gleb Wataghin Institute of Physics, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
- Brazilian Institute of Neuroscience and Neurotechnology (BRAINN), Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Fernando Manuel Araújo-Moreira
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar), São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil
- Programa de pós-graduação em Engenharia Nuclear, Instituto Militar de Engenharia/IME, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Luis Carlos Trevelin
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar), São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil
- Departamento de Computação, Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar), São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rafael Pimentel Maia
- Department of Statistics, Institute of Mathematics, Statistics and Scientific Computing, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rémi Radel
- Laboratoire LAMHESS, Université de Nice Sophia Antipolis, Nice, Côte d’Azur, France
| | - Gabriela Castellano
- Neurophysics Group, Gleb Wataghin Institute of Physics, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
- Brazilian Institute of Neuroscience and Neurotechnology (BRAINN), Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
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2
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Durcan O, Holland P, Bhattacharya J. A framework for neurophysiological experiments on flow states. COMMUNICATIONS PSYCHOLOGY 2024; 2:66. [PMID: 39242976 PMCID: PMC11332228 DOI: 10.1038/s44271-024-00115-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 09/09/2024]
Abstract
Csikszentmihalyi's concept of the "flow state" was initially discovered in experts deeply engaged in self-rewarding activities. However, recent neurophysiology research often measures flow in constrained and unfamiliar activities. In this perspective article, we address the challenging yet necessary considerations for studying flow state's neurophysiology. We aggregate an activity-autonomy framework with several testable hypotheses to induce flow, expanding the traditional "challenge skill balance" paradigm. Further, we review and synthesise the best methodological practices from neurophysiological flow studies into a practical 24-item checklist. This checklist offers detailed guidelines for ensuring consistent reporting, personalising and testing isolated challenge types, factoring in participant skills, motivation, and individual differences, and processing self-report data. We argue for a cohesive approach in neurophysiological studies to capture a consistent representation of flow states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver Durcan
- Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths University of London, London, UK.
| | - Peter Holland
- Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths University of London, London, UK
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3
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Karsai I, Nagy Z, Nagy T, Kocsor F, Láng A, Kátai E, Miseta A, Fazekas G, Kállai J. Physical exercise induces mental flow related to catecholamine levels in noncompetitive, but not competitive conditions in men. Sci Rep 2023; 13:14238. [PMID: 37648819 PMCID: PMC10469213 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-41518-2] [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: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The study aimed to reveal physical exercise conditions and catecholamine response-dependent differences while an individual experiences a flow state (FS) following noncompetitive and competitive running drills. Urine laboratory catecholamine levels were measured using a standard clinical method during pre- and post-physical exercises. The noncompetitive task involved intermittent running drills, from an absolute beginning up through exhaustion. Initially, the drill is performed individually then later competing alongside other runners. Twenty-two males (mean age: 40.27; SD: 5.4; min-max: 31-49 years) were selected in accordance to the following criterion: healthy status without using medication, routine forms of training (running, cycling or swimming) ideally performed with regularity, at least three times per week, 45 min per session. During the noncompetitive task, a high FS experience was associated with a low level of catecholamines, (noradrenaline and adrenaline) while in parallel, the high FS was associated with a low concentration of homovallinic acid. During competitive conditions, the FS-related catecholamine level changes have not yet been found. In conclusion, the low concentration of the circulating catecholamines supports the transient hypofrontality hypothesis regarding the FS experiences. Furthermore, synchronized noradrenaline and adrenaline neurosecretion play an essential role in the manifestation and the prolongation of FS in noncompetitive exercise conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- István Karsai
- Sports and Physical Education Center, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Zsófia Nagy
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.
- Sport and Medicine Research Group, Regenerative Science, Szentágothai Research Center, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.
| | - Tamás Nagy
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Ferenc Kocsor
- Institute of Psychology, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - András Láng
- Institute of Psychology, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Emese Kátai
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Attila Miseta
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Gábor Fazekas
- Department of Vascular Surgery, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - János Kállai
- Department of Behavioral Sciences, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
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4
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van der Linden D, Tops M, Bakker AB. Go with the flow: A neuroscientific view on being fully engaged. Eur J Neurosci 2021; 53:947-963. [PMID: 33084102 PMCID: PMC7983950 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2020] [Revised: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 10/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Flow is a state of full task absorption, accompanied with a strong drive and low levels of self-referential thinking. Flow is likely when there is a match between a person's skills and the task challenge. Despite its relevance for human performance and the vast body of research on flow, there is currently still relatively little insight in its underlying neurocognitive mechanisms. In this paper, we discuss a set of large brain networks that may be involved in establishing the core dimensions of flow. We propose that dopaminergic and noradrenergic systems mediate the intrinsic motivation and activate mood states that are typical for flow. The interaction between three large-scale attentional networks, namely the Default Mode Network, Central Executive Network and the Salience Network is proposed to play a role in the strong task engagement, low self-referential thinking, feedback and feelings of control in flow. The proposed relationships between flow and the brain networks may support the generation of new hypotheses and can guide future research in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dimitri van der Linden
- Department of Psychology, Education, and Child StudiesErasmus University RotterdamRotterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Mattie Tops
- Developmental and Educational Psychology UnitLeiden UniversityLeidenThe Netherlands
| | - Arnold B. Bakker
- Department of Psychology, Education, and Child StudiesErasmus University RotterdamRotterdamThe Netherlands
- University of JohannesburgSouth Africa
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5
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Kitson A, Chirico A, Gaggioli A, Riecke BE. A Review on Research and Evaluation Methods for Investigating Self-Transcendence. Front Psychol 2020; 11:547687. [PMID: 33312147 PMCID: PMC7701337 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.547687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 09/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Self-transcendence has been characterized as a decrease in self-saliency (ego disillusionment) and increased connection, and has been growing in research interest in the past decade. Several measures have been developed and published with some degree of psychometric validity and reliability. However, to date, there has been no review systematically describing, contrasting, and evaluating the different methodological approaches toward measuring self-transcendence including questionnaires, neurological and physiological measures, and qualitative methods. To address this gap, we conducted a review to describe existing methods of measuring self-transcendence, evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of these methods, and discuss research avenues to advance assessment of self-transcendence, including recommendations for suitability of methods given research contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Kitson
- School of Interactive Arts and Technology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
| | - Alice Chirico
- Department of Psychology, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Milan, Italy
| | - Andrea Gaggioli
- Department of Psychology, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Milan, Italy.,ATN-P Lab, Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | - Bernhard E Riecke
- School of Interactive Arts and Technology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
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6
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Balanced difficulty task finder: an adaptive recommendation method for learning tasks based on the concept of state of flow. Cogn Neurodyn 2020; 14:675-687. [PMID: 33014180 PMCID: PMC7501397 DOI: 10.1007/s11571-020-09624-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2019] [Revised: 05/24/2020] [Accepted: 06/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
An adaptive task difficulty assignment method which we reckon as balanced difficulty task finder (BDTF) is proposed in this paper. The aim is to recommend tasks to a learner using a trade-off between skills of the learner and difficulty of the tasks such that the learner experiences a state of flow during the learning. Flow is a mental state that psychologists refer to when someone is completely immersed in an activity. Flow state is a multidisciplinary field of research and has been studied not only in psychology, but also neuroscience, education, sport, and games. The idea behind this paper is to try to achieve a flow state in a similar way as Elo’s chess skill rating (Glickman in Am Chess J 3:59–102) and TrueSkill (Herbrich et al. in Advances in neural information processing systems, 2006) for matching game players, where “matched players” should possess similar capabilities and skills in order to maintain the level of motivation and involvement in the game. The BDTF draws analogy between choosing an appropriate opponent or appropriate game level and automatically choosing an appropriate difficulty level of a learning task. This method, as an intelligent tutoring system, could be used in a wide range of applications from online learning environments and e-learning, to learning and remembering techniques in traditional methods such as adjusting delayed matching to sample and spaced retrieval training that can be used for people with memory problems such as people with dementia.
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7
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Leroy A, Cheron G. EEG dynamics and neural generators of psychological flow during one tightrope performance. Sci Rep 2020; 10:12449. [PMID: 32709919 PMCID: PMC7381607 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-69448-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2020] [Accepted: 06/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Psychological “flow” emerges from a goal requiring action, and a match between skills and challenge. Using high-density electroencephalographic (EEG) recording, we quantified the neural generators characterizing psychological “flow” compared to a mindful “stress” state during a professional tightrope performance. Applying swLORETA based on self-reported mental states revealed the right superior temporal gyrus (BA38), right globus pallidus, and putamen as generators of delta, alpha, and beta oscillations, respectively, when comparing “flow” versus “stress”. Comparison of “stress” versus “flow” identified the middle temporal gyrus (BA39) as the delta generator, and the medial frontal gyrus (BA10) as the alpha and beta generator. These results support that “flow” emergence required transient hypo-frontality. Applying swLORETA on the motor command represented by the tibialis anterior EMG burst identified the ipsilateral cerebellum and contralateral sensorimotor cortex in association with on-line control exerted during both “flow” and “stress”, while the basal ganglia was identified only during “flow”.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Leroy
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Movement Biomechanics, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium.,Haute Ecole Provinciale du Hainaut-Condorcet, Mons, Belgium
| | - G Cheron
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Movement Biomechanics, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium. .,Laboratory of Electrophysiology, Université de Mons, Mons, Belgium.
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8
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Dirkx MF, Zach H, van Nuland AJ, Bloem BR, Toni I, Helmich RC. Cognitive load amplifies Parkinson’s tremor through excitatory network influences onto the thalamus. Brain 2020; 143:1498-1511. [DOI: 10.1093/brain/awaa083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2019] [Revised: 01/10/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Parkinson’s tremor is related to cerebral activity in both the basal ganglia and a cerebello-thalamo-cortical circuit. It is a common clinical observation that tremor markedly increases during cognitive load (such as mental arithmetic), leading to serious disability. Previous research has shown that this tremor amplification is associated with reduced efficacy of dopaminergic treatment. Understanding the mechanisms of tremor amplification and its relation to catecholamines might help to better control this symptom with a targeted therapy. We reasoned that, during cognitive load, tremor amplification might result from modulatory influences onto the cerebello-thalamo-cortical circuit controlling tremor amplitude, from the ascending arousal system (bottom-up), a cognitive control network (top-down), or their combination. We have tested these hypotheses by measuring concurrent EMG and functional MRI in 33 patients with tremulous Parkinson’s disease, OFF medication, during alternating periods of rest and cognitive load (mental arithmetic). Simultaneous heart rate and pupil diameter recordings indexed activity of the arousal system (which includes noradrenergic afferences). As expected, tremor amplitude correlated with activity in a cerebello-thalamo-cortical circuit; and cognitive load increased tremor amplitude, pupil diameter, heart rate, and cerebral activity in a cognitive control network distributed over fronto-parietal cortex, insula, thalamus and anterior cingulate cortex. The novel finding, obtained through network analyses, indicates that cognitive load influences tremor by increasing activity in the cerebello-thalamo-cortical circuit in two different ways: by stimulating thalamic activity, likely through the ascending arousal system (given that this modulation correlated with changes in pupil diameter), and by strengthening connectivity between the cognitive control network and the cerebello-thalamo-cortical circuit. We conclude that both the bottom-up arousal system and a top-down cognitive control network amplify tremor when a Parkinson’s patient experiences cognitive load. Interventions aimed at attenuating noradrenergic activity or cognitive demands may help to reduce Parkinson’s tremor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michiel F Dirkx
- Radboud University Nijmegen, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Radboud University Medical Centre, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Department of Neurology and Centre of Expertise for Parkinson and Movement Disorders, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Heidemarie Zach
- Radboud University Nijmegen, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Radboud University Medical Centre, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Department of Neurology and Centre of Expertise for Parkinson and Movement Disorders, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Medical University of Vienna, Department of Neurology, Vienna, Austria
| | - Annelies J van Nuland
- Radboud University Nijmegen, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Radboud University Medical Centre, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Department of Neurology and Centre of Expertise for Parkinson and Movement Disorders, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Bastiaan R Bloem
- Radboud University Medical Centre, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Department of Neurology and Centre of Expertise for Parkinson and Movement Disorders, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Ivan Toni
- Radboud University Nijmegen, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Rick C Helmich
- Radboud University Nijmegen, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Radboud University Medical Centre, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Department of Neurology and Centre of Expertise for Parkinson and Movement Disorders, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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9
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Cebolla AM, Palmero-Soler E, Leroy A, Cheron G. EEG Spectral Generators Involved in Motor Imagery: A swLORETA Study. Front Psychol 2017; 8:2133. [PMID: 29312028 PMCID: PMC5733067 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.02133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2017] [Accepted: 11/22/2017] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
In order to characterize the neural generators of the brain oscillations related to motor imagery (MI), we investigated the cortical, subcortical, and cerebellar localizations of their respective electroencephalogram (EEG) spectral power and phase locking modulations. The MI task consisted in throwing a ball with the dominant upper limb while in a standing posture, within an ecological virtual reality (VR) environment (tennis court). The MI was triggered by the visual cues common to the control condition, during which the participant remained mentally passive. As previously developed, our paradigm considers the confounding problem that the reference condition allows two complementary analyses: one which uses the baseline before the occurrence of the visual cues in the MI and control resting conditions respectively; and the other which compares the analog periods between the MI and the control resting-state conditions. We demonstrate that MI activates specific, complex brain networks for the power and phase modulations of the EEG oscillations. An early (225 ms) delta phase-locking related to MI was generated in the thalamus and cerebellum and was followed (480 ms) by phase-locking in theta and alpha oscillations, generated in specific cortical areas and the cerebellum. Phase-locking preceded the power modulations (mainly alpha-beta ERD), whose cortical generators were situated in the frontal BA45, BA11, BA10, central BA6, lateral BA13, and posterior cortex BA2. Cerebellar-thalamic involvement through phase-locking is discussed as an underlying mechanism for recruiting at later stages the cortical areas involved in a cognitive role during MI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana-Maria Cebolla
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Movement Biomechanics, Neuroscience Institute, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Ernesto Palmero-Soler
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Movement Biomechanics, Neuroscience Institute, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Axelle Leroy
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Movement Biomechanics, Neuroscience Institute, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Guy Cheron
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Movement Biomechanics, Neuroscience Institute, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium.,Laboratory of Electrophysiology, Université de Mons, Mons, Belgium
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10
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Wei GX, Si G, Tang YY. Editorial: Brain-Mind-Body Practice and Health. Front Psychol 2017; 8:1886. [PMID: 29118732 PMCID: PMC5661011 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2017] [Accepted: 10/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Gao-Xia Wei
- Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Gangyan Si
- Sport Psychology Center, Hong Kong Sports Institute, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yi-Yuan Tang
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, United States.,Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
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11
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Harris DJ, Vine SJ, Wilson MR. Neurocognitive mechanisms of the flow state. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2017; 234:221-243. [PMID: 29031465 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2017.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
While the experience of flow is often described in attentional terms-focused concentration or task absorption-specific cognitive mechanisms have received limited interest. We propose that an attentional explanation provides the best way to advance theoretical models and produce practical applications, as well as providing potential solutions to core issues such as how an objectively difficult task can be subjectively effortless. Recent research has begun to utilize brain-imaging techniques to investigate neurocognitive changes during flow, which enables attentional mechanisms to be understood in greater detail. Some tensions within flow research are discussed; including the dissociation between psychophysiological and experiential measures, and the equivocal neuroimaging findings supporting prominent accounts of hypofrontality. While flow has received only preliminary investigation from a neuroscientific perspective, findings already provide important insights into the crucial role played by higher-order attentional networks, and clear indications of reduced activity in brain regions linked to self-referential processing. The manner in which these processes may benefit sporting performance are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J Harris
- School of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom.
| | - Samuel J Vine
- School of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Mark R Wilson
- School of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
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