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Expertise-Level-Dependent Functionally Plastic Changes During Motor Imagery in Basketball Players.
Lan-Lan Zhang1, Yan-Ling Pi2, Cheng Shen1
1School of Kinesiology, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai 200438, China.
Neuroscience
|April 11, 2018
Summary
Motor expertise enhances motor imagery (MI) vividness and temporal congruence. Brain activation patterns in motor areas shift with increasing skill, particularly in the left postcentral gyrus, suggesting expertise-related neural plasticity.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Sports Science
- Cognitive Psychology
Background:
- Motor imagery (MI) is a cognitive process involving the mental simulation of actions without physical execution.
- Understanding neural changes associated with MI is crucial for skill acquisition and performance enhancement.
- Expertise level significantly influences cognitive and motor control processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate neuroplastic changes in brain areas during motor imagery across different expertise levels (novices, intermediate, elite).
- To compare motor imagery performance (temporal congruence, vividness) between skill groups and under different conditions (with-ball vs. without-ball).
- To identify distinct patterns of cortical activation related to motor expertise during motor imagery.
Main Methods:
- Participants (novices, intermediate, elite basketball players) engaged in motor imagery of basketball throws.
- Two conditions were employed: motor imagery with-ball and without-ball.
- Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to measure brain activity, alongside assessments of temporal congruence and imagery vividness.
Main Results:
- All player groups showed superior temporal congruence and vividness compared to novices.
- Motor imagery vividness was higher in the with-ball condition across all groups.
- fMRI revealed expertise-dependent activation patterns: increased left middle frontal gyrus, decreased left supplementary motor area activation with expertise. Left postcentral gyrus activation peaked in intermediate players.
Conclusions:
- Motor expertise is associated with enhanced motor imagery capabilities and distinct neural activation profiles.
- Specific brain regions (e.g., left postcentral gyrus) exhibit unique activation patterns related to the level of motor expertise.
- Findings suggest that motor expertise influences higher-order brain functions underlying motor imagery, with condition-specific modulations observed in elite players.
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