ECSS Paris 2023: OP-SH08
Introduction Basketball is a complex open-skill sport where deceptive actions are crucial for misleading opponents. Athletes must quickly anticipate these actions, making it essential to understand the cognitive mechanisms behind this anticipation. Research shows that observing actions activates the Action Observation Network (AON) or the Mirror Neuron System (MNS), aiding in recognizing and mimicking actions. The AON includes key brain regions responsible for processing observed actions and their intentions. Expert athletes exhibit superior visual cognitive abilities and greater activation in AON-related regions compared to novices. This study uses fMRI technology to examine behavioral and neural activation differences in anticipating deceptive actions between expert and novice basketball players. Methods This study investigates predictive behavior and brain activation differences through behavioral experiments and fMRI. Thirteen male experts (CUBA championship level) and 14 male novices (ordinary university students) participated. Stimuli included videos of shooting and breakthrough fake actions, totaling 108 valid segments. Participants judged the authenticity of the shots in a block design. Brain functional images were collected using a Siemens 3.0 T MAGNETOM Prisma MRI scanner, and behavioral data were analyzed using SPSS 27.0 with independent samples t-tests and repeated measures ANOVA. Results In the shooting fake action anticipation task, the expert group exhibited an overall accuracy of 89.23±5.94, significantly higher than the novice group’s 64.13±9.46 (t=7.56, p<0.001). The expert group also demonstrated superior accuracy at all designated breakpoints: first breakpoint (87.69±7.12 vs. 58.10±13.94, t=7.15, p<0.001), second breakpoint (91.54±6.47 vs. 65.48±10.18, t=7.99, p<0.001), and third breakpoint (88.46±10.24 vs. 68.81±12.78, t=4.49, p<0.001). In the breakthrough fake action anticipation task, the expert group achieved an accuracy of 80.61±10.15, significantly greater than the novice group’s 36.90±15.60 (t=8.55, p<0.001). The expert group reported a higher confidence level (83.31±6.68) compared to the novice group (62.50±12.23, t=5.43, p<0.001). For fMRI data, both groups activated AON-related brain regions, including the left angular gyrus and left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Experts showed significantly higher activation in the bilateral medial frontal gyrus, right hippocampus, and left anterior cingulate cortex compared to novices. Discussion This study highlights significant differences in behavioral performance and neural activation between expert and novice basketball players when anticipating deceptive actions. Experts demonstrated superior accuracy and confidence, particularly in shooting fake actions. The findings underscore the importance of the AON and related brain regions in processing deceptive actions, revealing that experts utilize more efficient cognitive strategies and neural mechanisms.
Read CV Ruihan ZhuECSS Paris 2023: OP-SH08
INTRODUCTION: The extrastriate body area (EBA), located in the lateral occipitotemporal cortex, responds robustly to human bodies and body parts [1]. Event-related potentials (ERPs) have been used to investigate this response, with studies showing that body perception modulates components like P1 and N1, reflecting early stages of visual processing [2]. Physical exercise has well-documented benefits, promoting neural plasticity and cognition, especially in regions linked to motor control [3]. However, its effect on brain areas involved in body recognition, such as the EBA, remains underexplored. We aim to investigate whether physical exercise influences neural responses in the EBA by examining changes in ERPs related to body perception. We hypothesize that physical exercise modulates electrical activity in response to body stimuli, with these effects reflected in body-related ERPs. Specifically, we expect alterations in the amplitude or latency of body-related components after aerobic exercise, suggesting neural plasticity in response to physical activity. METHODS: Young healthy subjects undergoes a 64-channel EEG recording while randomly looking at visual stimuli depicting the whole body, arms, and legs, both static and in motion, along with scrambled image of the same stimuli as controls, before and after 20 minutes of aerobic exercise on a cycle ergometer. Habitual physical activity is assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), and body image is evaluated using the Body Image Coping Strategies Inventory (BICSI). Hand dominance is assessed using the Edinburgh Handedness Inventory. Based on G*Power calculations with a statistical power of 80% and an effect size of 0.27 for a within-between interaction ANOVA, this protocol will be conducted on 30 participants. RESULTS: Preliminary data from 7 subjects (6F; 23 ± 0.47 years; BMI: 22.8 ± 2.77) show no clear difference between control and body stimuli but suggest a modulation of the N1, the P2 and the P3 components following physical activity. Further analysis with 30 participants will also explore potential correlations between questionnaire scores and ERP data. CONCLUSION: Acute aerobic physical exercise appears to influence body-related ERPs, with preliminary data suggesting modulations in early and late components, supporting the hypothesis that physical exercise can impact neural responses related to body perception. However, further analysis of the full sample is required to confirm these effects and explore the underlying mechanisms. REFERENCES: (Downing et al., 2001; Mandolesi et al., 2018; Taylor et al., 2010)
Read CV Emeline TanetECSS Paris 2023: OP-SH08
Cognitive function is fundamental to daily life, and its decline often precedes various diseases. While the general-domain cognitive benefits of physical exercise are well-documented, the underlying neural mechanisms remain poorly understood. This meta-analysis, encompassing 52 studies with 1,503 participants, investigates how physical exercise modulates task-related brain activation and its relationship to cognitive improvements. Results indicate that physical exercise significantly enhances cognitive performance (Hedges g = 0.271) and increases task-related activation, particularly in the bilateral precuneus. Notably, these activation increases correlate positively with performance gains. Furthermore, factors such as exercise intensity, adherence, and social environment significantly modulate changes in brain activation. These findings provide robust neural evidence for the general cognitive benefits of physical exercise and offer critical insights for designing effective interventions. To examine whether physical exercise also exerts specific-domain effects, a secondary analysis focusing on 23 studies of executive function was conducted. During executive function tasks, physical exercise significantly increased activation in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), cuneus, and precuneus, while reducing activation in the superior temporal gyrus, insula, midbrain, and thalamus. These findings suggest that the precuneus plays a central role in mediating exercise-induced general cognitive benefits (general-domain effect). Additionally, they highlight that the observed improvements in specific domains, such as executive function, may be linked to changes in distinct task-relevant brain regions (specific-domain effect). The underlying mechanisms involve a dual process of neural efficiency and neural compensation. Physical exercise enhances cognitive efficiency by reducing activation in non-task-related regions and supports cognitive compensation by increasing activation in task-relevant and integrative hub regions, such as the precuneus and ACC. This dual mechanism optimizes brain function, providing a comprehensive framework for understanding how physical exercise promotes cognition and informing the development of targeted intervention strategies.
Read CV Geng LiECSS Paris 2023: OP-SH08