Sport practice changes the brain: A study on motor preparation in top-level shooters

It is well established that the mental simulation of actions involves visual and/or somatomotor representations of those imagined actions. To investigate whether the total absence of vision affects the brain activity associated with the retrieval of motor representations, we recorded the readiness potential (RP), a marker of motor preparation preceding the execution, as well as the motor imagery of the right middle-finger extension in the first-person (1P; imagining oneself performing the movement) and in the third-person (3P; imagining the experimenter performing the movement) modes in 19 sighted and 10 congenitally blind subjects. Our main result was found for the single RP slope values at the Cz channel (likely corresponding to the supplementary motor area). No difference in RP slope was found between 1P and 3P in the sighted group, suggesting that similar motor preparation networks are recruited to simulate our own and other people's actions in spite of explicit instructions to perform the task in 1P or 3P. Conversely, reduced RP slopes in 3P compared with 1P found in the blind group indicated that they might have used an alternative, nonmotor strategy to perform the task in 3P. Moreover, movement imagery ability, assessed both by means of mental chronometry and a modified version of the Movement Imagery Questionnaire-Revised, indicated that blind and sighted individuals had similar motor imagery performance. Taken together, these results suggest that complete visual loss early in life modifies the brain networks that associate with others' action representations.

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Sensory feedback independent pre-song vocalizations correlate with current state of motor preparation

10.1101/509505 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Divya Rao ◽

Satoshi Kojima ◽

Raghav Rajan

Keyword(s):

Real Time ◽

Sensory Feedback ◽

Motor Preparation ◽

Initial State ◽

Final State ◽

Current State ◽

Tennis Serve ◽

Simple Movement ◽

Summary Statement ◽

The Brain

ABSTRACTMany self-initiated, learned, motor sequences begin by repeating a simple movement, like ball-bouncing before a tennis serve, and this repetition is thought to represent motor preparation. Do these simple movements provide real-time sensory feedback used by the brain for getting ready or do they simply reflect internal neural preparatory processes? Here, we addressed this question by examining the introductory notes (INs) that zebra finches repeat before starting their learned song sequence. INs progress from a variable initial state to a stereotyped final state before each song and are thought to represent motor preparation before song. Here, we found that the mean number of INs before song and the progression of INs to song were not affected by removal of two sensory feedback pathways (auditory and proprioceptive). In both feedback-intact and feedback-deprived birds, the presence of calls (other non-song vocalizations), just before the first IN, was correlated with fewer INs before song and an initial state closer to song. Finally, the initial IN state correlated with the time to song initiation. Overall, these results show that INs do not provide real-time sensory feedback for preparing the motor system. Rather, repetition of INs, and possibly, other such simple movements, may reflect the “current” state of internal neural preparatory processes involved in getting the brain ready to initiate a learned movement sequence.SUMMARY STATEMENTThe number and progression of introductory notes to song in the zebra finch are not affected by removal of sensory feedback.

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Transitioning between preparatory and precisely sequenced neuronal activity in production of a skilled behavior

eLife ◽

10.7554/elife.43732 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Vamsi K Daliparthi ◽

Ryosuke O Tachibana ◽

Brenton G Cooper ◽

Richard HR Hahnloser ◽

Satoshi Kojima ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Calcium Imaging ◽

Motor Preparation ◽

Projection Neurons ◽

Neuronal Populations ◽

Premotor Neurons ◽

Preparatory Activity ◽

Cell Type Specific ◽

Functionally Diverse ◽

Neural Sequences ◽

The Brain

Precise neural sequences are associated with the production of well-learned skilled behaviors. Yet, how neural sequences arise in the brain remains unclear. In songbirds, premotor projection neurons in the cortical song nucleus HVC are necessary for producing learned song and exhibit precise sequential activity during singing. Using cell-type specific calcium imaging we identify populations of HVC premotor neurons associated with the beginning and ending of singing-related neural sequences. We characterize neurons that bookend singing-related sequences and neuronal populations that transition from sparse preparatory activity prior to song to precise neural sequences during singing. Recordings from downstream premotor neurons or the respiratory system suggest that pre-song activity may be involved in motor preparation to sing. These findings reveal population mechanisms associated with moving from non-vocal to vocal behavioral states and suggest that precise neural sequences begin and end as part of orchestrated activity across functionally diverse populations of cortical premotor neurons.

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Neural encoding of reliability and validity of directional information during the preparation of targeted movements

10.1101/2020.09.17.302000 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Charidimos Tzagarakis ◽

Sarah West ◽

Giuseppe Pellizzer

Keyword(s):

Reaction Time ◽

Visual Information ◽

Motor Response ◽

Reliability And Validity ◽

Motor Preparation ◽

Theta Band ◽

Beta Band ◽

Motor Processes ◽

Band Power ◽

The Brain

AbstractVisual information about an upcoming target can be used to prepare an appropriate motor response and reduce its reaction time. However, when the anticipation is incorrect and the planned response must be changed, the reaction time is lengthened. Here, we investigated the brain mechanisms associated with the reliability and validity of visual information used for motor preparation. We recorded brain activity using magnetoencephalography (MEG) during a delayed reaching task in which a visual cue provided valid information about the location of the upcoming target with 50, 75 or 100% reliability. We found that reaction time increased as cue reliability decreased and that trials with invalid cues had longer reaction times than trials with valid cues. MEG channel analysis showed that beta-band power from left mid-anterior channels correlated with the reliability of the cue after cue onset but before target onset. This effect was source localized over a large motor-related cortical and subcortical network. In addition, during invalid-cue trials there was a phasic increase of theta-band power following target onset from left posterior channels, localized to the left occipito-parietal cortex. Furthermore, the theta-beta cross-frequency coupling between left mid-occipital and motor cortex also transiently increased before responses to invalid-cue trials. In conclusion, beta-band power in motor-related areas reflected the reliability of visual information used during motor preparation, whereas phasic theta-band activity signaled whether the target was at the expected location or not. These results elucidate mechanisms of interaction between attentional and motor processes.Significance StatementWe used magnetoencephalography to investigate how the brain mechanisms preparing a motor response take into account the reliability of information about the upcoming location of a target to reach, and how these mechanisms adjust when that information turns out to be incorrect. We found that during the response preparation, the power of motor-related beta-band oscillations changed with the reliability of the visual information. In addition, we found that after the onset of the target the power of the left occipito-parietal theta-band signaled whether the prior information was correct or not. The pattern of activity of the beta-band and theta-band explain the pattern of latency of responses in the task, and demonstrate how attentional and motor processes interact.

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Enhancing the Brain and the Ethics of Sport

Research Anthology on Business Strategies, Health Factors, and Ethical Implications in Sports and eSports ◽

10.4018/978-1-7998-7707-3.ch032 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 573-590

Author(s):

Jose-Luis Perez-Trivino

Keyword(s):

Sport Performance ◽

The Other ◽

Amateur Athletes ◽

Sport Practice ◽

Other Hand ◽

In Doping ◽

Sport Ethics ◽

Near Future ◽

The Brain

Doping, or in more morally neutral terms, enhancement, has always been present in sport practice and not only at the present time, which is marked by professionalism and competitiveness. The latest development in doping seems linked to biotechnological advances, and one of the techniques that will apparently be particularly important in the near future is neuroscience, notably through pharmacological enhancers and transcranial stimulators. These devices promise to improve not only physiological aspects in sport performance, but also mental and emotional ones. On the other hand, they can seriously affect sport ethics insofar as they can be economically accessible to professional and amateur athletes. This chapter explores these issues.

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Ready steady slow: action preparation slows the subjective passage of time

Proceedings of The Royal Society B Biological Sciences ◽

10.1098/rspb.2012.1339 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 279 (1746) ◽

pp. 4399-4406 ◽

Cited By ~ 49

Author(s):

Nobuhiro Hagura ◽

Ryota Kanai ◽

Guido Orgs ◽

Patrick Haggard

Keyword(s):

Sensory Processing ◽

Information Acquisition ◽

Sensory Information ◽

Motor Preparation ◽

Ballistic Movement ◽

Reaching Movement ◽

Slowing Down ◽

Action Preparation ◽

The Brain ◽

Temporal Illusions

Professional ball game players report the feeling of the ball ‘slowing-down’ before hitting it. Because effective motor preparation is critical in achieving such expert motor performance, these anecdotal comments imply that the subjective passage of time may be influenced by preparation for action. Previous reports of temporal illusions associated with action generally emphasize compensation for suppressed sensory signals that accompany motor commands. Here, we show that the time is perceived slowed-down during preparation of a ballistic reaching movement before action, involving enhancement of sensory processing. Preparing for a reaching movement increased perceived duration of a visual stimulus. This effect was tightly linked to action preparation, because the amount of temporal dilation increased with the information about the upcoming movement. Furthermore, we showed a reduction of perceived frequency for flickering stimuli and an enhanced detection of rapidly presented letters during action preparation, suggesting increased temporal resolution of visual perception during action preparation. We propose that the temporal dilation during action preparation reflects the function of the brain to maximize the capacity of sensory information-acquisition prior to execution of a ballistic movement. This strategy might facilitate changing or inhibiting the planned action in response to last-minute changes in the external environment.

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T151. Visuospatial processing load enhance the brain activity associated with motor preparation

Clinical Neurophysiology ◽

10.1016/j.clinph.2018.04.152 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 129 ◽

pp. e60

Author(s):

Tomoyuki Fumuro ◽

Masao Matsuhashi ◽

Takefumi Hitomi ◽

Riki Matsumoto ◽

Ryosuke Takahashi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Brain Activity ◽

Motor Preparation ◽

Processing Load ◽

Visuospatial Processing ◽

The Brain

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Movement-Related Cortical Potential Associated with Jaw-Biting Movement in the Patients with Oral Cancer after the Surgery

10.5772/intechopen.96149 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Ichiro Nakajima ◽

Mitsuyo Shinohara ◽

Hiroiku Ohba

Keyword(s):

Oral Cancer ◽

Hand Movement ◽

Motor Preparation ◽

Normal Subjects ◽

Cortical Potential ◽

Preparation Process ◽

Jaw Movements ◽

Oral Cancers ◽

The Brain ◽

Forward System

Oral cancer is first treated with surgery for the patients. In most cases, it becomes difficult for these patients to perform smooth jaw movements postoperatively, causing masticatory dysfunctions, due to the mandible excision including muscles and peripheral nerves. However, it is still unknown whether the surgery affects the brain function for jaw movement in the patients. In this study, therefore, we investigated a significance of the movement-related cortical potential (MRCP) for jaw movements in the patients after the cancer surgery, to clarify the motor preparation process in the brain, as compared with healthy subjects. Eight normal subjects and seven patients with oral cancers were enrolled in the study. Experiment 1: The normal subjects were instructed to perform jaw-biting movement and hand movement, respectively. The MRCPs appeared bilaterally over the scalp approximately 1 to 2 s before the onset of muscle discharge in both movements. Experiment 2: The MRCPs appeared preoperatively in the jaw biting movement in all patients. However, the amplitudes of the MRCP decreased significantly after than before the surgery (p < 0.05). Our data indicated the dysfunction of the motor preparation process for jaw movements in the patient after the surgery, suggesting impairment of feed-forward system in the maxillofacial area.

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Marmosets: a promising model for probing the neural mechanisms underlying complex visual networks such as the frontal–parietal network

Brain Structure and Function ◽

10.1007/s00429-021-02367-9 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Joanita F. D’Souza ◽

Nicholas S. C. Price ◽

Maureen A. Hagan

Keyword(s):

Motor Preparation ◽

Common Marmoset ◽

Structure And Function ◽

Oculomotor Control ◽

Lateral Intraparietal Area ◽

Cortical Areas ◽

The Common ◽

And Function ◽

The Brain ◽

Behavioural Repertoire

AbstractThe technology, methodology and models used by visual neuroscientists have provided great insights into the structure and function of individual brain areas. However, complex cognitive functions arise in the brain due to networks comprising multiple interacting cortical areas that are wired together with precise anatomical connections. A prime example of this phenomenon is the frontal–parietal network and two key regions within it: the frontal eye fields (FEF) and lateral intraparietal area (area LIP). Activity in these cortical areas has independently been tied to oculomotor control, motor preparation, visual attention and decision-making. Strong, bidirectional anatomical connections have also been traced between FEF and area LIP, suggesting that the aforementioned visual functions depend on these inter-area interactions. However, advancements in our knowledge about the interactions between area LIP and FEF are limited with the main animal model, the rhesus macaque, because these key regions are buried in the sulci of the brain. In this review, we propose that the common marmoset is the ideal model for investigating how anatomical connections give rise to functionally-complex cognitive visual behaviours, such as those modulated by the frontal–parietal network, because of the homology of their cortical networks with humans and macaques, amenability to transgenic technology, and rich behavioural repertoire. Furthermore, the lissencephalic structure of the marmoset brain enables application of powerful techniques, such as array-based electrophysiology and optogenetics, which are critical to bridge the gaps in our knowledge about structure and function in the brain.

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Limb contraction drives fear perception

10.1101/2020.01.09.899849 ◽

2020 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Marta Poyo Solanas ◽

Maarten Vaessen ◽

Beatrice de Gelder

Keyword(s):

Action Observation ◽

Body Movement ◽

Motor Preparation ◽

Brain Regions ◽

Primate Species ◽

Whole Body ◽

Analysis Techniques ◽

Affective Information ◽

Whole Body Movement ◽

The Brain

AbstractHumans and other primate species are experts at recognizing affective information from body movements but the underlying brain mechanisms are still largely unknown. Previous research focusing on the brain representation of symbolic emotion categories has led to mixed results. This study used representational similarity and multi-voxel pattern analysis techniques to investigate how postural and kinematic features computed from affective whole-body movement videos are related to brain processes. We show that body posture and kinematics differentially activated brain regions indicating that this information might be selectively encoded in these regions. Most specifically, the feature limb contraction seemed to be particularly relevant for distinguishing fear and it was represented in several regions spanning affective, action observation and motor preparation networks. Our approach goes beyond traditional methods of mapping symbolic emotion categories to brain activation/deactivation by discovering which specific movement features are encoded in the brain, and possibly drive automatic emotion perception.

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