Evidence of Neural Synchronization and Connectivity: Claudio - [email protected]
Evidence of Neural Synchronization and Connectivity: Claudio - [email protected]
Evidence of Neural Synchronization and Connectivity: Claudio - [email protected]
brain?
Evidence of neural synchronization and
connectivity
Claudio Babiloni, University of Rome “La Sapienza”; Italy;
Pierluigi Aschieri, FIJLKAM (Italian Federation of Karate, Judo and Martial Arts)
Claudio Del Percio, University of Rome “La Sapienza”; Italy;
Roberta Lizio, University of Rome “La Sapienza”; Italy;
Nicola Marzano, University of Rome “La Sapienza”; Italy;
Mauro Franzetti, University of Rome “La Sapienza”; Italy;
Antonio Fiore, Italian Federation of Fencing
Mirella Pirritano, Institute of Sport Science, CONI, Rome, Italy
Claudio Gallozzi, Institute of Sport Science, CONI, Rome, Italy
Cristina Limatola, University of Rome “La Sapienza”; Italy
[email protected]
Neural efficiency hypothesis
and athletes’ brain activity
NEURAL EFFICIENCY
Synchronous recording of high-density EEG with body motion capture and eye
gaze tracking, plus other physiological measures, while participants perform
motivated behaviors in three-dimensional environments (Makeig et al.,
2009; Gramann et al., 2010, 2011; Gwin et al., 2010, 2011; reviewed in Cheron et
al. 2016).
Cortical EEG alpha rhythms
reflect cortical inhibition in
eyes closed resting state
condition
Dominant resting (eyes-
RESTING closed) alpha rhythms are
EYES synchronous and coherent
over wide cortical areas and
CLOSED corresponding thalamic
nuclei as a sign of
CORTICAL INHIBITION
pyramidal neurons
oscillating at synchronized =All neurons
alpha frequencies (around synchronized at
10 Hz) around 10 Hz
Reticular neurons Relay neurons
BRAIN STEM THALAMUS
Cortical alpha rhythms are
suppressed in amplitude as a
sign of cortical excitation
during sensory stimulation,
cognitive demands,
movements
Dominant resting (eyes-
RESTING closed) alpha rhythms are
EYES synchronous and coherent
over wide cortical areas and
CLOSED corresponding thalamic
nuclei as a sign of
CORTICAL INHIBITION
pyramidal neurons
oscillating at synchronized =All neurons
alpha frequencies (around synchronized at
10 Hz) around 10 Hz
Reticular neurons Relay neurons
BRAIN STEM THALAMUS
High-frequency EEG
Event- rhythms (about 30 to 100 Hz
induced or highest) substitute alpha
rhythms during eyes
activation opening. Reduction of alpha
rhythms as a sign of
CORTICAL EXCITATION
Gamma rhythms
Babiloni C, Marzano N, Iacoboni M, Infarinato F, Aschieri P, Buffo P, Cibelli G, Soricelli A, Eusebi F, Del Percio C. Resting state
cortical rhythms in athletes: a high-resolution EEG study. Brain Res Bull. 2010 Jan 15;81(1):149-56.
Less reactivity of alpha power to eyes opening in elite athletes than in amateur
karate athletes and non-athletes: athletes’ brain is less excited during eyes
opening (does it reflect selectivity/efficiency of cortical activation?)
Del Percio C, Infarinato F, Marzano N, Iacoboni M, Aschieri P, Lizio R, Soricelli A, Limatola C, Rossini PM, Babiloni C. Reactivity of
alpha rhythms to eyes opening is lower in athletes than non-athletes: a high-resolution EEG study. Int J Psychophysiol. 2011
Dec;82(3):240-7.
Alpha rhythms are less
suppressed during difficult
upright standing (more
control, selectivity, and
efficiency?) in athletes than in
controls
Alpha rhythms related to visuo-vestibular-motor integration for
upright standing enhanced in elite fencers?
Del Percio C, Babiloni C, Marzano N, Infarinato F, Vecchio F, Lizio R, Aschieri P, Fiore A, Toràn G, Gallamini M, Baratto M,
Eusebi F “NEURAL EFFICIENCY” OF ATHLETES’BRAIN FOR UPRIGHT STANDING: A HIGH-RESOLUTION EEG
STUDY Brain Res Bull. 2009 May; 79(3-4):193-200
VIDEO
Alpha ERD was lower in
amplitude in karate and fencing
athletes than in non-athletes at
central and parietal areas,
during monopodalic referenced
to less engaging bipodalic
condition (neural efficiency)
Del Percio C, Babiloni C, Marzano N, Infarinato F, Vecchio F, Lizio R, Aschieri P, Fiore A, Toràn G, Gallamini M,
Baratto M, Eusebi F “NEURAL EFFICIENCY” OF ATHLETES’BRAIN FOR UPRIGHT STANDING: A HIGH-
RESOLUTION EEG STUDY Brain Res Bull. 2009 May; 79(3-4):193-200
Alpha rhythms are less
suppressed during voluntary
hand movements (more
control, selectivity, and
efficiency?) in athletes than in
controls
Compared to the non-athletes, the elite karate athletes showed a
lower central alpha ERD only for the right movement, as a
possible index of spatially selective cortical activation (neural
efficiency)
Claudio Del Percio, Claudio Babiloni, Francesco Infarinato, Nicola Marzano, Marco Iacoboni, Pierluigi Aschieri,
Fabrizio Eusebi: Neural efficiency" of athletes' brain for voluntary movements: a high resolution EEG study
Neuroimage 2010
Alpha rhythms are less
suppressed during voluntary
(endogenous) visuospatial
attention (more control,
selectivity, and efficiency?) in
athletes than in controls
Cortical EEG activation during focused attention in elite pistol
shooters. More efficiency?
Del Percio C, Babiloni C, Bertollo M, Marzano N, Iacoboni M, Infarinato F, Lizio R, Stocchi M, Robazza C, Cibelli G,
Comani S and Eusebi F. Visuo-attentional and sensorimotor alpha rhythms are related to visuo-motor performance in athletes
Hum Brain Mapp. 2009
VIDEO
Postural freezing of elite shooters is related to selectivity/neural
efficiency as revealed by widespread cortical EEG deactivation: a
“disconnection” from irrelevant stimuli of the external world?
More efficiency
Del Percio C, Babiloni C, Bertollo M, Marzano N, Iacoboni M, Infarinato F, Lizio R, Stocchi M, Robazza C, Cibelli G,
Comani S and Eusebi F. Visuo-attentional and sensorimotor alpha rhythms are related to visuo-motor performance in athletes
Hum Brain Mapp. 2009
The elite athletes showed high-frequency alpha ERS (about 10-12 Hz)
larger in amplitude for high score shots (50%) than for low score shots; this
was true in right parietal and left central areas
Del Percio C, Babiloni C, Bertollo M, Marzano N, Iacoboni M, Infarinato F, Lizio R, Stocchi M, Robazza C, Cibelli G,
Comani S and Eusebi F. Visuo-attentional and sensorimotor alpha rhythms are related to visuo-motor performance in athletes
Hum Brain Mapp. 2009
Linear temporal synchronization (coherence) of EEG rhythms at
electrode pairs as an index of functional cortico-cortical coupling
(information transfer)
brain
frontal EEG frontal
high spectral coherence
electrodes max coh = 1
= high information transfer
parietal EEG
parietal
linear coupling
Compared to non-athletes, pistol shooters show stronger parieto-
temporal and parieto-occipital alpha coherence
Del Percio C, Babiloni C, Bertollo M, Marzano N, Iacoboni M, Infarinato F, Lizio R, Stocchi M, Robazza C, Cibelli G,
Comani S and Eusebi F. Visuo-attentional and sensorimotor alpha rhythms are related to visuo-motor performance in
athletes Hum Brain Mapp. 2009
Alpha rhythms in athletes are
less suppressed during
understanding of expert
actions (more control,
selectivity, and efficiency?)
Efficiency of mirror neuron systems as revealed by mapping of
alpha rhythms
Babiloni C, Del Percio C, Rossini PM, Marzano N, Iacoboni M, Infarinato F, Lizio R, Piazza M, Pirritano M, Berlutti G, Cibelli G,
Eusebi F. Judgment of actions in experts: a high-resolution EEG study in elite athletes. Neuroimage. 2009 Apr 1;45(2):512-21.
VIDEO
Understanding of the sporting performance by other athletes is
related to selectivity/neural efficiency of parietal cortical
activation (mirror systems) as revealed by EEG mapping. More
efficiency?
Babiloni C, Del Percio C, Rossini PM, Marzano N, Iacoboni M, Infarinato F, Lizio R, Piazza M, Pirritano M, Berlutti G, Cibelli G,
Eusebi F. Judgment of actions in experts: a high-resolution EEG study in elite athletes. Neuroimage. 2009 Apr 1;45(2):512-21.
Low- (about 8–10 Hz) and high-frequency (about 10–12 Hz) alpha
rhythms were lower in amplitude in the elite karate athletes compared
to the non-gymnasts in occipital and temporal areas (ventral pathway)
and in dorsal pathway (neural efficiency)
Babiloni C, Del Percio C, Rossini PM, Marzano N, Iacoboni M, Infarinato F, Lizio R, Piazza M, Pirritano M, Berlutti G,
Cibelli G, Eusebi F. Judgment of actions in elite amateur katate athletes a: a high-resolution EEG study. Behavioral
Brain Research. 2010
Neural efficiency hypothesis
does not explain athletes’
brain activity in some
conditions
Eyes opening alpha rhythms in
athletes during upright
standing does not fit neural
efficiency hypothesis
Alpha ERD was stronger in
amplitude in karate and fencing
athletes than in non-athletes
during quiet upright standing at
eyes open reference to eyes
closed condition, , (against
neural efficiency)
Del Percio C, Brancucci A, Bergami F, Marzano N, Fiore A, Di Ciolo E, Aschieri P, Andrea Lino A, Vecchio F, Iacoboni M,
Gallamini M, Babiloni C, Eusebi F. Cortical alpha rhythms are correlated with body sway during quiet open-eyes standing
in athletes: a high-resolution EEG study. Neuroimage 2007, 36(3):822-9.
Alpha rhythms in athletes
during complex visuomotor
integration doe not fit neural
efficiency hypothesis
Successful putts of elite golfers is related to alpha EEG rhythms
Claudio Babiloni, Claudio Del Percio, Francesco Infarinato, Nicola Marzano, Marco Iacoboni, Pierluigi Aschieri,
Fabrizio Eusebi: Sensorimotor rhythms related to precise golf putts: a high resolution EEG study Journal of
Physiology, 2009
VIDEO
Successful putts of elite golfers is related to strong integrative
frontal executive processes
Claudio Babiloni, Claudio Del Percio, Francesco Infarinato, Nicola Marzano, Marco Iacoboni, Pierluigi Aschieri,
Fabrizio Eusebi: Sensorimotor rhythms related to precise golf putts: a high resolution EEG study Journal of
Physiology, 2009
Successful putts of elite golfers is related to strong parieto-
central and parieto-frontal alpha coherence
Babiloni C, Infarinato F, Marzano N, Iacoboni M, Dassù F, Soricelli A, Rossini PM, Limatola C, Del Percio C. Int J Psychophysiol.
2011 Dec;82(3):260-8. Intra-hemispheric functional coupling of alpha rhythms is related to golfer's performance: a
coherence EEG study.
Alpha rhythms are sensitive to
the intervention on visuomotor
integration in athletes
Does conditioning of pre-stimulus alpha rhythms enhance the
cognitive-motor performance in fencers?
VIDEO
CORRELATION BETWEEN PRE-STIMULUS ALPHA RHYTHMS AND
REACTION TIME: the higher the enhancement of pre-stimulus alpha rhythms,
faster the reaction time in all subjects
MOTOR LEARNING
Localization of :
MOTION PREDICTION
Ball
Opponents
SIMULTANEOUS OPERATIONS
Goal
(Abernethy et al, 1993; Starkes and Allord, 1993; Williams et al, 1999; Roca et al., 2011)
Neural hyper-activity related to visuo-spatial
processing in rugby players
8 no-athletes (control group; mean age: 25.6 years; 8 male). They had never
practiced any sports at agonistic level.
Experimental design
70 videos with football scenes two times: one time in the called “Football”
(SPATIAL DEMAND) and 70 for the condition called “Control” >(NON-SPATIAL
DEMAND). Order randomized across subjects.
Football
Control
Videos of football scenes
Two event periods: T1 as the period from+0.5 s to +1.5 s with respect to the
zerotime, T2 as the period from +1.5 s to +2.5 s. The pre-stimulus period was
defined as the period from −1 s to the zerotime.
ERD index of the cortical activity - ERS index of the cortical inhibition
Football Condition
Control Condition
Reaction time (ms) 441 (±32 SE) 505 (±88 SE) n.s.
*T-Test: p<0.05
Alpha ERD-ERS
Low-frequency alpha (about 8-10 Hz)
ERS(%)
No Football Players
ERD(%)
Alpha ERD-ERS
T1 T2 T1 T2
Football Players
ERS(%)
No Football Players
ERD(%)
ANOVA statistical results
In football condition, there was an increase of alpha ERD (i.e. cortical excitation) in
left parietal (P3) and in right central-parietal (C4, P4) electrodes in football players
compared to control subjects.
In control condition, no difference of alpha ERD was found between the two groups.
FUTURE PERSPECTIVES: COGNITIVE TRAINING IN THE DOMAIN OF
SPORT SCIENCE
EEG Performance
EEG Performance Cognitive training (one month)
recording assessment
recording assessment
(real condition)
(real condition)
┼ ┼
Athletes’ brain is characterized by higher power of eyes closed resting state alpha sources
and lower reactivity to eyes opening, in line with neural efficiency hypothesis
Alpha rhythms in athletes are modulated in relevant cortical networks by task demands
(difficult upright standing, voluntary hand movements, complex visuo-motor integration,
voluntary visuo-spatial attention, etc.)
Athletes’ brain is characterized by neural efficiency in most experimental conditions but not
in all, according to the idea of neural adaptability
Physical and neurocognitive exercise may enhance neural efficiency in developmental age
and across aging. New information and communication technologies may contribute to
provide services in this field
Cognitive-motor
performance
Videos of football scenes were developed and validated for the present experiments
and for future applications
The present spatial condition is able to elicit specific cortical activity (as revealed by
EEG markers) in football players and will be used as a neural target of brain visuo-
spatial training in this population for applied neurophysiology (ancillary experimental
activities in progress).
Cognitive-motor
performance