Abstract
The neurophysiological mechanisms underlying the behavioural improvements usually associated with an external (EF) compared with an internal focus of attention (IF) remain poorly investigated. Surround inhibition in the primary cortex has been shown to be more pronounced with an EF, indicating a more spatial restriction of the motor command. However, the influence of different foci on the temporal aspect of the motor command, such as the modulation of fast versus slow(er) motor pathways, remains unknown and was therefore investigated in this study. Fourteen participants were asked to press on a pedal with the right foot to match its position with a target line displayed on a screen. The deviation of the pedal from the target line was used as a behavioural parameter and compared between both foci (EF vs IF). Additionally, conditioned H-reflexes were evoked during the motor task to assess the excitability of fast (direct) and slower (more indirect) motor pathways when adopting an EF or IF. With an EF compared to an IF, the motor performance was enhanced (P = .001; + 24%) and the activation of slow(er) motor pathways was reduced (P < 0.001, − 11.73%). These findings demonstrate for the first time that using different attentional strategies (EF and IF) has an influence on the excitability of slow(er) motor pathways. Together with the increased intracortical inhibition and surround inhibition known from previous studies, the diminished activation in the slow(er) motor pathways further explains why using an EF is a more economic strategy.
Highlights
The neurophysiological mechanisms underlying the behavioural improvements usually associated with an external (EF) compared with an internal focus of attention (IF) remain poorly investigated
In 19981, the first study investigated the effects of an external focus of attention (EF) compared to an internal focus of attention (IF)
As a limitation of the initial functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies cited above, it might be argued that those studies were conceptualized to detect between-group differences and different subjects were measured with an EF than with an IF
Summary
The neurophysiological mechanisms underlying the behavioural improvements usually associated with an external (EF) compared with an internal focus of attention (IF) remain poorly investigated. These studies support and strengthen the ‘constrained action hypothesis’ that was postulated in 2 00112,13 This theory stipulates that adopting an external focus of attention contrasted to an internal one improves motor control and learning by promoting more automatic and unconscious modes of motor control. This theory is well supported by previous physiological s tudies[14,15] and on findings from behavioural studies. Using intrinsic blood-tissue contrasts[22] does not allow to differentiate between excitatory and inhibitory neural activity[23] but provides an estimate about the overall brain activity
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