Author(s): CHI, L., CHIEN, T.H., HUNG, H.W., CHIANG, C.T., YAO, Z.F., Institution: NATIONAL TAIWAN NORMAL UNIVERSITY, Country: TAIWAN, Abstract-ID: 1718

Introduction
In the past, most studies used interviews or questionnaires to subjectively examine the mental state and psychological characteristics of athletes for their peak performance. This study used a more objective cognitive neuroscience approach by using functional MRI to explore the neural correlates of motor imagery in elite athletes by examining their brain activity as they visualized themselves performing at two distinct levels: their peak performance during the most prestigious competition they had participated in and their habitual performance during routine training.
Methods
Twenty-eight elite Taiwanese athletes who competed in either Olympic Games or Asian Games were recruited. One athlete could not complete the motor imagery tasks during the scan. The study design involved capturing images during three blocks of sport-specific and customized cues, which prompted athletes to recall and visualize their personal performance milestones under peak, regular, and baseline conditions. Before and after the imaging sessions, we conducted physiological assessments, measuring systolic and diastolic blood pressure and arthrometric variables, while also accounting for each athletes highest level of achievement and years of training. The standard fMRI data preprocessing was performed, including motion correction, slice timing adjustment, spatial smoothing, and standard brain template normalization.
Results
The within-subject block design analysis revealed consistent activation in the frontal lobe and caudate nucleus during the recall and visualization of performances across all conditions when compared to baseline. Notably, regular performance visualization was associated with increased BOLD (blood oxygenation level dependent) signal fluctuations in the superior temporal gyrus, whereas peak performance visualization predominantly engaged the parietal cortex. Furthermore, during peak performance imagery, we observed significantly enhanced BOLD signals in the frontal brain regions, including the orbitofrontal cortex and frontal pole, suggesting a heightened involvement of executive functions during high-stakes performance visualization.
Discussion
In conclusion, our findings indicate that imagining peak performance primarily recruits higher-order cognitive processes in frontal brain areas, which may underpin the more automated and optimal execution of motor actions. In contrast, regular performance imagery appears to involve additional, possibly redundant, activity in visual areas, suggesting a reliance on more explicit visualization of the motor actions. These insights contribute to our understanding of the cognitive and neural strategies employed by elite athletes during motor imagery and could have implications for enhancing sports performance through imagery training.