Abstract
Quick and accurate reactions to environmental stimuli are often required. Researchers have investigated ways to improve these reactions, which are critical components of perceptual-motor abilities. To optimize individual performance, different techniques, such as embodied interventions and brain stimulation, have been examined. The evidence from EEG studies shows that upper limb muscle contractions lead to changes in brain oscillations associated with changes in mental states and behavioral outcomes. Much research has been conducted on whether muscle contractions of a particular hand have a greater effect on a perceptual-motor ability, as a trigger to facilitate cortical processes (a mediator) for skilled motor performance. While previous studies have shown that left- (vs. right-) hand contractions can lead to greater alpha activation, we hypothesized that left dynamic handgrips have different impacts on motor performance, reflected by simple RT (SRT) and choice RT (CRT). We recruited 64 right-handers, for a within/between-subjects experiment consisting of performance measurements in SRT and CRT tasks after the intervention (either right or left dynamic handgrip approximately twice a second for 30 s for each hand) or assignment to paired passive control groups. We did not find left-hand contractions improve response accuracy in neither SRT nor CRT tasks. Further, left-hand contractions did not affect RTs. The findings indicate that the effects of dynamic handgrips are smaller on behavioral outcomes such as RTs than what can be inferred from published studies. More research is needed to establish the effect of dynamic handgrips on optimizing performance.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10339-022-01080-7.
Highlights
In many domains, individuals frequently encounter situations that require efficient processing of environmental stimuli and speedy responses
The current study addresses the following questions: (a) do unilateral upper limb muscle contractions have an effect on reaction times (RTs), and if yes, how do these effects differ between hands; and (b) which types of RT are affected and in what way? An simple RT (SRT) task typically creates a situation in which only one type of response follows a given stimulus
We investigated the effects of dynamic handgrip on perceptual-motor task performance by assessing speed (RT) and accuracy of the response to stimuli in SRT and choice RT (CRT) tasks in the final cohort of 64 right-handed participants
Summary
Individuals frequently encounter situations that require efficient processing of environmental stimuli and speedy responses. Researchers have been looking for ways to improve reaction times using different techniques, ranging from simple cognitive training (see e.g., Simpson et al 2012) to more complicated approaches such as brain stimulation (see e.g., Angelakis et al 2007), to treat impairments in these abilities caused by mental disorders and/or to optimize individual performance (see e.g., Hashemian et al 2013; Hatfield et al 2009; Jeunet et al 2019). Embodied interventions—bodily actions intended to change cortical activity in order to change behaviors (Beckmann et al 2013; Mirifar et al 2020)—have attracted attention in this area because they offer a practical, accessible, and affordable approach. One such simple but effective embodied intervention is dynamic handgrip;. In the field of sports, a series of experiments by Beckmann et al (2013) showed that performance under pressure of selfpaced motor skills improved only after dynamic left-hand grip
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