Motor learning in a complex balance task and associated neuroplasticity: a comparison between endurance athletes and nonathletes

Abstract

Studies suggested that motor expertise is associated with functional and structural brain alterations, which positively affect sensorimotor performance and learning capabilities. The purpose of the present study was to unravel differences in motor skill learning and associated functional neuroplasticity between endurance athletes (EA) and nonathletes (NA). For this purpose, participants had to perform a multimodal balance task (MBT) training on 2 sessions, which were separated by 1 wk. Before and after MBT training, a static balance task (SBT) had to be performed. MBT-induced functional neuroplasticity and neuromuscular alterations were assessed by means of functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and electromyography (EMG) during SBT performance. We hypothesized that EA would showed superior initial SBT performance and stronger MBT-induced improvements in SBT learning rates compared with NA. On a cortical level, we hypothesized that MBT training would lead to differential learning-dependent functional changes in motor-related brain regions [such as primary motor cortex (M1)] during SBT performance. In fact, EA showed superior initial SBT performance, whereas learning rates did not differ between groups. On a cortical level, fNIRS recordings (time × group interaction) revealed a stronger MBT-induced decrease in left M1 and inferior parietal lobe (IPL) for deoxygenated hemoglobin in EA. Even more interesting, learning rates were correlated with fNIRS changes in right M1/IPL. On the basis of these findings, we provide novel evidence for superior MBT training-induced functional neuroplasticity in highly trained athletes. Future studies should investigate these effects in different sports disciplines to strengthen previous work on experience-dependent neuroplasticity. Motor expertise is associated with functional/structural brain plasticity. How such neuroplastic reorganization translates into altered motor learning processes remains elusive. We investigated endurance athletes (EA) and nonathletes (NA) in a multimodal balance task (MBT). EA showed superior static balance performance (SBT), whereas MBT-induced SBT improvements did not differ between groups. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy recordings revealed a differential MBT training-induced decrease of deoxygenated hemoglobin in left primary motor cortex and inferior parietal lobe between groups.

Effects of mirror training on motor performance in healthy individuals: a systematic review and meta-analysis

“…Bilateral limb symmetry is associated with the overall competence of athletes. There is evidence that athletes show better balance after multimodal balance training compared with non-athletes 57. As a modified version of classical action observation, MTr uses visual information to direct virtual movements of the untrained hand 3.…”

Mapping cortical network effects of fatigue during a handgrip task by functional near-infrared spectroscopy in physically active and inactive subjects

“…Physical exercise is known to increase the brain function throughout life and has been shown to enhance FC in the default mode network, frontoparietal network, and motor network, as well as increase gray brain volume in the prefrontal, and temporal cortex, and the hippocampus. [50][51][52][53] Physically active subjects' expansive connectivity patterns highlight the greater availability of cortical network resources due to prior exercise. Overall, the findings of our work are consistent with the existing notion of exercise-related augmentation in FC at the resting state and during fatiguing tasks.…”

Neurodiagnostics in Sports: Investigating the Athlete’s Brain to Augment Performance and Sport-Specific Skills

“…Hence, measuring brain activation during the execution of sports-related movements seems feasible. Many previous studies have successfully applied fNIRS to study functional brain adaptations during complex motor tasks such as juggling (Carius et al, 2016), balancing (Seidel et al, 2017), squatting , climbing (Carius et al, 2020), playing table tennis (Balardin et al, 2017), running (Suzuki et al, 2004) and cycling (Seidel et al, 2019). Additionally, the focus is increasingly shifting in the direction of investigating neural correlates of motor expertise comparing athletes and non-athletes using fNIRS (Seidel et al, 2017(Seidel et al, , 2019.…”

“…Many previous studies have successfully applied fNIRS to study functional brain adaptations during complex motor tasks such as juggling (Carius et al, 2016), balancing (Seidel et al, 2017), squatting , climbing (Carius et al, 2020), playing table tennis (Balardin et al, 2017), running (Suzuki et al, 2004) and cycling (Seidel et al, 2019). Additionally, the focus is increasingly shifting in the direction of investigating neural correlates of motor expertise comparing athletes and non-athletes using fNIRS (Seidel et al, 2017(Seidel et al, , 2019. In combination with novel approaches such as multichannel whole-brain fNIRS, multi-distance fNIRS Seidel et al, 2019) and systemic physiological augmented fNIRS (Herold et al, 2018), these studies provide an important basis for neurodiagnostics of motor expertise and talent (see Figure 1B).…”