Hemispheric Lateralization in Older Adults Who Habitually Play Darts: A Cross-Sectional Study Using Functional...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Sports Science
• Cognitive Psychology

Background:

• Exercise integrating physical and cognitive activities shows promise for brain health.
• Wellness Darts, a sport involving throwing darts, walking, and score calculation, demands dual-task performance.
• Understanding the impact of continuous Wellness Darts training on brain function and hemispheric lateralization is of significant interest.

Purpose of the Study:

• To cross-sectionally investigate differences in hemispheric lateralization between expert and non-expert Wellness Darts players.
• To compare brain activity patterns using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) across different age and expertise groups.

Main Methods:

• Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) was employed to measure brain activity.
• Three groups were studied: expert older players, non-expert older controls, and non-expert younger controls.
• Brain activity patterns were quantified using the lateralization index (LI) and compared across groups.

Main Results:

• Significantly higher LI values were observed in the younger and expert older groups compared to the non-expert older group.
• No significant difference in LI was found between the expert older group and the younger group.
• These findings suggest a potential link between Wellness Darts expertise and enhanced hemispheric lateralization.

Conclusions:

• The Wellness Darts game may promote hemispheric lateralization, indicating a positive effect on brain function.
• This study provides a foundation for future longitudinal research on the long-term effects of Wellness Darts on cognitive health.
• Expertise in dual-task activities like Wellness Darts could be associated with distinct neural processing patterns.