Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of open and closed sport participation on visuo-spatial attention and memory performance among young adults. Forty-eight young adults—16 open-skill athletes, 16 closed-skill athletes, and 16 non-athletes controls—were recruited for the study. Both behavioral performance and event-related potential (ERP) measurement were assessed when participants performed non-delayed and delayed match-to-sample task that tested visuo-spatial attention and memory processing. Results demonstrated that regardless of training typology, the athlete groups exhibited shorter reaction times in both the visuo-spatial attention and memory conditions than the control group with no existence of speed-accuracy trade-off. Similarly, a larger P3 amplitudes were observed in both athlete groups than in the control group for the visuo-spatial memory condition. These findings suggest that sports training, regardless of typology, are associated with superior visuo-spatial attention and memory performance, and more efficient neural resource allocation in memory processing.
Highlights
A growing body of evidence shows that exercise training positively affects cognitive function (Hillman, Erickson & Kramer, 2008), that which demands greater executive control
They were divided into three groups based on their sport typology, and the three groups were matched in age and gender: open-skill sports group (OS; n = 16, mean age = 20 ± 1.2 years), closed-skill sports group (CS; n = 16, mean age = 21.1 ± 2.3 years), and non-athletes control group (Con; n = 16, mean age = 20.7 ± 1.1 years)
There was a significant difference in non-verbal IQ (F (2,45) = 11.70, p < .05, η2 = .342), and a post hoc comparison revealed that the control group had a higher non-verbal IQ than both athlete groups, but no significant difference between the two athlete groups was observed
Summary
A growing body of evidence shows that exercise training positively affects cognitive function (Hillman, Erickson & Kramer, 2008), that which demands greater executive control. According to the broad transfer hypothesis, extensive practice of specific skills can improve cognition for circumstances outside the specific sport context (Furley & Memmert, 2011). One meta-analytical study has shown that athletes perform better on cognitive tasks with sport-related contexts relative to non-athletes, and general cognitive tasks (Voss et al, 2010). Studies have found that athletes outperform non-athletes in general executive control paradigms which tap on motor inhibition and cognitive flexibility (Alves et al, 2013; Chan et al, 2011; Taddei et al, 2012; Verburgh et al, 2014).
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
