Executive function in Japanese amateur soccer players:

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess executive function (EF) in Japanese amateur soccer players using the Design Fluency Test (DFT) and Advance Trail Making Test (ATMT). The study participants included a high-performance group of collegiate soccer players who had previously won the all-Japan university championships (n = 12) and a low-performance group of collegiate soccer players who had never competed at national level or played in prefectural or regional competitions (n = 10). The participants responded to the DFT and the ATMT subtests of the Delis–Kaplan Executive Function System (D-KEFS), which is a test battery for assessing different aspects of EF. The DFT is a standardized test that assesses working memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility, as well as creativity and planning, whereas parts A and B of the ATMT are used to assess attention-switching, working memory and visuomotor abilities. The results indicated that the high-performance group had a significantly higher DFT score. Moreover, a significant correlation was observed between the number of years of experience and the DFT score. These results indicated that creativity and planning in the highperformance group were superior to those in the low-performance group. However, there were no significant differences between the 2 groups in parts A and B of the ATMT. In addition, there was no correlation between the ATMT score and the number of years of experience. These findings have identified the basic DFT and ATMT parameters associated with assessment of central nervous system information in Japanese soccer players in the context of EF.