OBJECTIVE: The "neural efficiency" hypothesis posits that neural activity is reduced in experts. Here we tested the hypothesis that compared with non-athletes, elite athletes are characterized by a reduced cortical activation during simple voluntary movement and that this is reflected by the modulation of dominant alpha rhythms (8-12 Hz). METHODS: EEG data (56 channels; EB-Neuro) were continuously recorded in the following right-handed subjects: 10 elite karate athletes and 12 non-athletes. During the EEG recordings, they performed brisk voluntary wrist extensions of the right or left hand (right movement and left movement). The EEG cortical sources were estimated by standardized low-resolution brain electromagnetic tomography (sLORETA) freeware. With reference to a baseline period, the power decrease of alpha rhythms during the motor preparation and execution indexed the cortical activation (event-related desynchronization, ERD). RESULTS: During both preparation and execution of the right movements, the low- (about 8-10 Hz) and high-frequency alpha ERD (about 10-12 Hz) was lower in amplitude in primary motor area, in lateral and medial premotor areas in the elite karate athletes than in the non-athletes. For the left movement, only the high-frequency alpha ERD during the motor execution was lower in the elite karate athletes than in the non-athletes. CONCLUSIONS: These results confirmed that compared with non-athletes, elite athletes are characterized by a reduced cortical activation during simple voluntary movement. SIGNIFICANCE: Cortical alpha rhythms are implicated in the "neural efficiency" of athletes' motor systems. 2009 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
OBJECTIVE: The "neural efficiency" hypothesis posits that neural activity is reduced in experts. Here we tested the hypothesis that compared with non-athletes, elite athletes are characterized by a reduced cortical activation during simple voluntary movement and that this is reflected by the modulation of dominant alpha rhythms (8-12 Hz). METHODS: EEG data (56 channels; EB-Neuro) were continuously recorded in the following right-handed subjects: 10 elite karate athletes and 12 non-athletes. During the EEG recordings, they performed brisk voluntary wrist extensions of the right or left hand (right movement and left movement). The EEG cortical sources were estimated by standardized low-resolution brain electromagnetic tomography (sLORETA) freeware. With reference to a baseline period, the power decrease of alpha rhythms during the motor preparation and execution indexed the cortical activation (event-related desynchronization, ERD). RESULTS: During both preparation and execution of the right movements, the low- (about 8-10 Hz) and high-frequency alpha ERD (about 10-12 Hz) was lower in amplitude in primary motor area, in lateral and medial premotor areas in the elite karate athletes than in the non-athletes. For the left movement, only the high-frequency alpha ERD during the motor execution was lower in the elite karate athletes than in the non-athletes. CONCLUSIONS: These results confirmed that compared with non-athletes, elite athletes are characterized by a reduced cortical activation during simple voluntary movement. SIGNIFICANCE: Cortical alpha rhythms are implicated in the "neural efficiency" of athletes' motor systems. 2009 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
Authors: Alan R Needle; C Buz Swanik; Michael Schubert; Kirsten Reinecke; William B Farquhar; Jill S Higginson; Thomas W Kaminski; Jochen Baumeister Journal: Eur J Appl Physiol Date: 2014-06-24 Impact factor: 3.078
Authors: Ross E Vanderwert; Elizabeth A Simpson; Annika Paukner; Stephen J Suomi; Nathan A Fox; Pier F Ferrari Journal: Dev Neurosci Date: 2015-05-23 Impact factor: 2.984
Authors: John T Johnson; Daniele de Mari; Harper Doherty; Frank L Hammond; Lewis A Wheaton Journal: Exp Brain Res Date: 2022-03-07 Impact factor: 1.972
Authors: Dagmara Budnik-Przybylska; Adrian Kastrau; Patryk Jasik; Maria Kaźmierczak; Łukasz Doliński; Paweł Syty; Marta Łabuda; Jacek Przybylski; Selenia di Fronso; Maurizio Bertollo Journal: Front Hum Neurosci Date: 2021-06-01 Impact factor: 3.169