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Carius D, Herold F, Clauß M, Kaminski E, Wagemann F, Sterl C, Ragert P. Increased Cortical Activity in Novices Compared to Experts During Table Tennis: A Whole-Brain fNIRS Study Using Threshold-Free Cluster Enhancement Analysis. Brain Topogr 2023:10.1007/s10548-023-00963-y. [PMID: 37119404 DOI: 10.1007/s10548-023-00963-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/01/2023]
Abstract
There is a growing interest to understand the neural underpinnings of high-level sports performance including expertise-related differences in sport-specific skills. Here, we aimed to investigate whether expertise level and task complexity modulate the cortical hemodynamics of table tennis players. 35 right-handed table tennis players (17 experts/18 novices) were recruited and performed two table tennis strokes (forehand and backhand) and a randomized combination of them. Cortical hemodynamics, as a proxy for cortical activity, were recorded using functional near-infrared spectroscopy, and the behavioral performance (i.e., target accuracy) was assessed via video recordings. Expertise- and task-related differences in cortical hemodynamics were analyzed using nonparametric threshold-free cluster enhancement. In all conditions, table tennis experts showed a higher target accuracy than novices. Furthermore, we observed expertise-related differences in widespread clusters compromising brain areas being associated with sensorimotor and multisensory integration. Novices exhibited, in general, higher activation in those areas as compared to experts. We also identified task-related differences in cortical activity including frontal, sensorimotor, and multisensory brain areas. The present findings provide empirical support for the neural efficiency hypothesis since table tennis experts as compared to novices utilized a lower amount of cortical resources to achieve superior behavioral performance. Furthermore, our findings suggest that the task complexity of different table tennis strokes is mirrored in distinct cortical activation patterns. Whether the latter findings can be useful to monitor or tailor sport-specific training interventions necessitates further investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Carius
- Department of Movement Neuroscience, Faculty of Sport Science, Leipzig University, 04109, Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Fabian Herold
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Potsdam, 14476, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Martina Clauß
- Department of Movement Neuroscience, Faculty of Sport Science, Leipzig University, 04109, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Elisabeth Kaminski
- Department of Movement Neuroscience, Faculty of Sport Science, Leipzig University, 04109, Leipzig, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Florian Wagemann
- Department of Movement Neuroscience, Faculty of Sport Science, Leipzig University, 04109, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Clemens Sterl
- Department of Movement Neuroscience, Faculty of Sport Science, Leipzig University, 04109, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Patrick Ragert
- Department of Movement Neuroscience, Faculty of Sport Science, Leipzig University, 04109, Leipzig, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
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Wang Y, Feng S, Yang R, Hou W, Wu X, Chen L. The learning-relative hemodynamic modulation of cortical plasticity induced by a force-control motor training. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:922725. [PMID: 36161184 PMCID: PMC9492923 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.922725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Novel motor skills are generally acquired through repetitive practices which are believed to be strongly related to neural plasticity mechanisms. This study aimed to investigate the learning-relative hemodynamic modulation of cortical plasticity induced by long-term motor training. Methods An 8-day participation-control program was conducted. Eighteen right-handed healthy participants were recruited and randomly assigned into the training (12) and control groups (6). The training group were arranged to undergo the 8-day block-designed motor training which required to repeat a visuomotor force-control task. The functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) was used to continuously monitor the cortical hemodynamic response during training. Two transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) measurements were performed before and after training to evaluate the cortical excitability changes. The transfer effects of learning were also investigated. Results The behavior performance was quantified via score execution accuracy to illustrate the fast/slow learning stages as experience cumulated. The cortical hemodynamic activations mapped by fNIRS exhibited a temporal evolution trends that agreed the expansion–renormalization model, which assumed the brain modulation against skill acquisition includes complex mechanisms of neural expansion, selection, and renormalization. Functional connectivity (FC) analysis showed the FC strength was maintained, while the measured homodynamic activation returned to baseline after certain level of skill acquisition. Furthermore, the TMS results demonstrated a significant increase of motor evoked potential (MEP) on the targeted muscle for the trained participants, who significantly outperformed the untrained subjects in learning transfer investigation. Conclusion The study illustrated the expansion–renormalization trends during continuous motor training, and relative analysis showed the functional connectivity enhancement may be maintained after amplitude renormalization of cortical hemodynamic activations. The TMS findings further gave an implication of neural facilitations on the descending motor pathway when brain activation returned to renormalization status after certain level of learning stages was achieved, and the learning can transfer to enhance the performance while encountering similar tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongrong Wang
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Shuai Feng
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Rui Yang
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Wensheng Hou
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Artificial Intelligence and Service Robot Control Technology, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xiaoying Wu
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Artificial Intelligence and Service Robot Control Technology, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Medical Electronics Engineering Technology Research Center, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Lin Chen
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Artificial Intelligence and Service Robot Control Technology, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
- *Correspondence: Lin Chen
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Stewart JC, Baird JF, Lewis AF, Fritz SL, Fridriksson J. Effect of behavioral practice targeted at the motor action selection network after stroke. Eur J Neurosci 2022; 56:4469-4485. [PMID: 35781898 PMCID: PMC9380182 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Revised: 06/11/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Motor action selection engages a network of frontal and parietal brain regions. After stroke, individuals activate a similar network, however, activation is higher, especially in the contralesional hemisphere. The current study examined the effect of practice on action selection performance and brain activation after stroke. Sixteen individuals with chronic stroke (Upper Extremity Fugl-Meyer motor score range: 18-61) moved a joystick with the more-impaired hand in two conditions: Select (externally cued choice; move right or left based on an abstract rule) and Execute (simple response; move same direction every trial). On Day 1, reaction time (RT) was longer in Select compared to Execute which corresponded to increased activation primarily in regions in the contralesional action selection network including dorsal premotor, supplementary motor, anterior cingulate and parietal cortices. After four days of practice, behavioral performance improved (decreased RT) and only contralesional parietal cortex significantly increased during Select. Higher brain activation on Day 1 in the bilateral action selection network, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and contralesional sensory cortex predicted better performance on Day 4. Overall, practice led to improved action selection performance and reduced brain activation. Systematic changes in practice conditions may allow the targeting of specific components of the motor network during rehabilitation after stroke.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jill Campbell Stewart
- Department of Exercise Science, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina
| | - Jessica F Baird
- Department of Exercise Science, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina
| | - Allison F Lewis
- Department of Exercise Science, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina
| | - Stacy L Fritz
- Department of Exercise Science, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina
| | - Julius Fridriksson
- Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina
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Maes C, Cuypers K, Heise KF, Edden RAE, Gooijers J, Swinnen SP. GABA levels are differentially associated with bimanual motor performance in older as compared to young adults. Neuroimage 2021; 231:117871. [PMID: 33607278 PMCID: PMC8275071 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.117871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Although gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) is of particular importance for efficient motor functioning, very little is known about the relationship between regional GABA levels and motor performance. Some studies suggest this relation to be subject to age-related differences even though literature is scarce. To clarify this matter, we employed a comprehensive approach and investigated GABA levels within young and older adults across multiple motor tasks as well as multiple brain regions. Specifically, 30 young and 30 older adults completed a task battery of three different bimanual tasks. Furthermore, GABA levels were obtained within bilateral primary sensorimotor cortex (SM1), bilateral dorsal premotor cortex, the supplementary motor area and bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) using magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Results indicated that older adults, as compared to their younger counterparts, performed worse on all bimanual tasks and exhibited lower GABA levels in bilateral SM1 only. Moreover, GABA levels across the motor network and DLPFC were differentially associated with performance in young as opposed to older adults on a manual dexterity and bimanual coordination task but not a finger tapping task. Specifically, whereas higher GABA levels related to better manual dexterity within older adults, higher GABA levels predicted poorer bimanual coordination performance in young adults. By determining a task-specific and age-dependent association between GABA levels across the cortical motor network and performance on distinct bimanual tasks, the current study advances insights in the role of GABA for motor performance in the context of aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Celine Maes
- Movement Control & Neuroplasticity Research Group, Department of Movement Sciences, Group Biomedical Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; KU Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Tervuursevest 101 box, Leuven 1501 3001, Belgium.
| | - Koen Cuypers
- Movement Control & Neuroplasticity Research Group, Department of Movement Sciences, Group Biomedical Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; KU Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Tervuursevest 101 box, Leuven 1501 3001, Belgium; REVAL Research Institute, Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium.
| | - Kirstin-Friederike Heise
- Movement Control & Neuroplasticity Research Group, Department of Movement Sciences, Group Biomedical Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; KU Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Tervuursevest 101 box, Leuven 1501 3001, Belgium.
| | - Richard A E Edden
- Russel H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States; F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, United States
| | - Jolien Gooijers
- Movement Control & Neuroplasticity Research Group, Department of Movement Sciences, Group Biomedical Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; KU Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Tervuursevest 101 box, Leuven 1501 3001, Belgium.
| | - Stephan P Swinnen
- Movement Control & Neuroplasticity Research Group, Department of Movement Sciences, Group Biomedical Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; KU Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Tervuursevest 101 box, Leuven 1501 3001, Belgium.
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