Inter-individual differences in cognitive function modulate preparatory kinematics during cognitively challenging
Clara Ebner1, Matthias Götz1, Andrea Kiesel2
1Department of Sport and Sport Science, Exercise and Human Movement Science, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
Background:
Team sport athletes frequently perform changes-of-direction (CODs) in cognitively demanding environments, where necessary preparatory movements may be constrained, potentially increasing the risk for injuries. Inter-individual differences in cognitive function may further modulate these motor-cognitive interactions. Thus, this study examined the influence of inter-individual differences in cognitive function on preparatory kinematics during cognitively demanding COD tasks.
Methods:
Twenty-nine female football players completed a computerized cognitive test battery and 90° COD tasks in four conditions with increasing cognitive demand induced by the number of movement options. Preparatory kinematic parameters of lower extremities and trunk were assessed using three-dimensional motion analyses, and linear mixed-model analyses were conducted to examine the effects of cognitive function and cognitive demands.
Results:
At the penultimate step, increasing cognitive demands were associated with significantly greater lateral trunk flexion and pelvis tilt, as well as reduced trunk rotation and step width. In addition, interaction effects indicated that better verbal memory scores attenuated the condition effects for lateral trunk flexion [β = -0.52, t(82) = -2.84, p = 0.006] and pelvis tilt [β = -0.44, t(82) = -2.55, p = 0.01]. At the ultimate step, hip internal rotation and step width significantly increased, while pelvis rotation decreased with increasing cognitive demands. Additionally, longer reaction time was associated with increased lateral trunk flexion towards the cutting leg [β = 2.18, t(24) = 3.08, p = 0.005] and increased hip internal rotation [β = 3.90, t(24) = 2.31, p = 0.03].
Conclusion:
Inter-individual differences in cognitive function, particularly reaction time, modulate preparatory kinematics during cognitively demanding COD tasks in female football players. These findings indicate that cognitive function may influence how athletes adapt preparatory movement strategies under cognitively challenging conditions and highlight the importance of integrating cognitive assessments and preparatory movement analysis when evaluating injury risk and designing targeted prevention programs.
