Moderate anxiety may improve functional balance in older women with low muscle strength: a preliminary observation.

Background: Anxiety commonly affects older individuals with negative consequences on various physical and motor performances such as balance. When coupled with age-related muscular strength loss, the effects on the ability to perform daily tasks could be particularly detrimental, particularly in older women who are more susceptible to anxiety, muscular strength losses and falls. The study aimed to verify the effects of anxiety on balance performance in relation to muscular strength level in healthy older women.

Identification of anticipatory brain activity in a time discrimination task.

The purpose of this study was to investigate anticipatory functions in temporal cognition, identifying the presence of proactive brain processing specifically preceding a time discrimination task. To this aim, two discriminative response tasks (DRTs) were employed: a feature DRT and a temporal (T-DRT). While the F-DRT required discrimination among different geometrical shapes, the T-DRT required discrimination among different stimulus durations.

Electrophysiological indexes of the cognitive-motor trade-off associated with motor response complexity in a cognitive task.

Complex actions require more cognitive and motor control than simple ones. Literature shows that to face complexity, the brain must make a compromise between available resources usually giving priority to motor control. However, literature has minimally explored the effect of the motor response complexity on brain processing associated with cognitive tasks.

Integration of cognitive-motor dual-task training in physical sessions of highly-skilled basketball players.

We investigated the effects of a cognitive-motor dual-task training (CMDT) integrated into a physical training circuit. Specific tests on sprint, agility, and cognitive processes associated with anticipatory event-related potential (ERP) components and behavioural performance during a cognitive discrimination response task (DRT) were evaluated before and after the intervention. Thirty skilled basketball players were recruited and divided into an experimental group executing the "physical CMDT" and a control group performing standard physical training.

Effects of a Virtual Reality Reaction Training Protocol on Physical and Cognitive Skills of Young Adults and Their Neural Correlates: A Randomized Controlled Trial Study.

Increasing evidence shows that virtual reality (VR) training is highly effective in cognitive and motor rehabilitation. Another modern form of training is cognitive-motor dual-task training (CMDT), which has been demonstrated to rapidly improve physical and cognitive functions in real environments. This study aims to test whether a VR-based CMDT protocol can be used for motor and cognitive skill enhancement in young, healthy subjects.

Electrophysiological Correlates of Amplified Emotion-Related Cognitive Processing Evoked by Self-Administered Disgust Images.

In the processing of emotions, the brain prepares and reacts in distinctive manners depending upon the negative or positive nuance of the emotion elicitors. Previous investigations showed that negative elicitors generally evoke more intense neural activities than positive and neutral ones, as reflected in the augmented amplitude of all sub-components of the event-related potentials (ERP) late posterior positivity (LPP) complex, while less is known about the emotion of disgust. The present study aimed to examine whether the LPP complex during the processing of disgust stimuli showed greater amplitude than other emotion elicitors with negative or positive valences, thus confirming it as a neural marker of disgust-related negativity bias at earlier or later stages.

Bayesian interpretation of the prefrontal P2 ERP component based on stimulus/response mapping uncertainty.

The brain can be seen as a predictive system continuously computing prior information to guess posterior probabilities minimizing sources of uncertainty. To test this Bayesian view of the brain, event-related potentials (ERP) methods have been used focusing on the well-known P3 component, traditionally associated with decision-making processes and sources of uncertainty regarding target probability. Another ERP component linked with decision-making is the prefrontal P2 (pP2) component, which has never been considered within the Bayesian framework.

Cortical dynamics in visual areas induced by the first use of multifocal contact lenses in presbyopes.

A common non-spectacle strategy to correct presbyopia is to provide simultaneous images with multifocal optical designs. Understanding the neuroadaptation mechanisms behind multifocal devices usage would have important clinical implications, such as predicting whether patients will be able to tolerate multifocal optics. The aim of this study was to evaluate the brain correlates during the initial wear of multifocal contact lenses (CLs) using high-density visual evoked potential (VEP) measures.

A Nonpharmacologic Treatment for Anxiety in Older Adults Based on Cognitive-Motor Training With Response-Generated Feedback.

Objectives: Simultaneous combinations of cognitive and physical exercises (cognitive-motor dual-task training [CMDT]) are more effective than physical and cognitive training alone in counteracting the decline of older adults and promoting physical and psychological well-being. The CMDT can be particularly effective in improving cognitive and functional abilities. Here, we validated an innovative nonpharmacologic intervention for anxiety and general well-being in older people by combining CMDT and response-generated feedback (RGF) principles.

Temporal spectral evolution of pre-stimulus brain activity in visual and visuomotor tasks.

The aim of this study was to describe the spectral features of pre-stimulus event-related potential (ERP) components elicited in visual tasks such as the Bereitschaftspotential (BP), prefrontal negativity (pN) and visual negativity (vN). ERPs are considered time-locked and phase-locked (evoked) activity, but we have also analyzed the non-phase but time-locked (induced) activity in the same interval by applying the temporal spectral evolution (TSE) method. Participants (N = 26) were tested in a passive task, a simple response task (SRT) and a discriminative response task (DRT), where EEG activity was recorded with 64 scalp electrodes.

Motor-cognitive exercise with variability of practice and feedback improves functional ability and cognition in older individuals.

Background: Motor-cognitive dual-task training seems the most favorable form of exercise for functional and cognitive improvements in older individuals.  The optimal exercise regime is still uncertain, and the potential benefits of qualitative parameters of exercise prescription such as feedback provision and practice variability are mostly unknown.

Aims: To verify the effects of a motor-cognitive dual-task training with feedback provision and variability of practice for improving functional ability and cognition in older individuals.

Brain dynamics of visual anticipation during spatial occlusion tasks in expert tennis players.

Stimulus identification and action outcome understanding for a rapid and accurate response selection, play a fundamental role in racquet sports. Here, we investigated the neurodynamics of visual anticipation in tennis manipulating the postural and kinematic information associated with the body of opponents by means of a spatial occlusion protocol. Event Related Potentials (ERPs) were evaluated in two groups of professional tennis players (N = 37) with different levels of expertise, while they observed pictures of opponents and predicted the landing position as fast and accurately as possible.

Specific effect of a cognitive-motor dual-task training on sport performance and brain processing associated with decision-making in semi-elite basketball players.

Objectives: In this study, we aimed at evaluating the effects of cognitive-motor dual-task training (CMDT) on sport-specific athletic performance and cognitive functions of semi-elite basketball players. Further, we investigated the CMDT effects on reactive brain processing by employing event-related potential (ERP) analysis.

Design: A randomized controlled trial was conducted including 52 young semi-elite basketball players (28 females mean age 16.

Top-down reconfiguration of SMA cortical connectivity during action preparation.

The Bereitschaftspotential (BP), a scalp potential recorded in humans during action preparation, is characterized by a slow amplitude increase over fronto-central regions as action execution approaches. We recorded TMS evoked-potentials (TEP) stimulating the supplementary motor area (SMA) at different time-points during a Go/No-Go task to assess whether and how cortical excitability and connectivity of this region change as the BP increases. When approaching BP peak, left SMA reactivity resulted greater.

Testing a Multicomponent Training Designed to Improve Sprint, Agility and Decision-Making in Elite Basketball Players.

This study tested if, in elite basketball players' training, the integration of a cognitive component within a multi-component training (MCT) could be more effective than an MCT with motor components only to improve both physical and cognitive skills. To this purpose, we designed an MCT focussed on sprint and agility incorporating a cognitive-motor dual-task training (CMDT) focussed on decision-making speed. Specific tests on sprint, agility and decision-making, and event-related potential (ERP) during the latter test were evaluated before and after the intervention.

Time Course of Reactive Brain Activities during a Stroop Color-Word Task: Evidence of Specific Facilitation and Interference Effects.

The Stroop test represents a widely used task in basic and clinical research for approaching the cognitive system functioning in humans. However, a clear overview of the neurophysiological signatures associated with the different sub-domains of this task remains controversial. In the present study, we leveraged the EEG technique to explore the modulation of specific post-stimulus ERPs components during the Stroop test.

Acute effects of neuromuscular electrical stimulation on cortical dynamics and reflex activation.

Superimposing neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) on voluntary muscle contractions has shown the potential to improve motor performance even more than voluntary exercise alone. Nevertheless, the neurophysiological and neurocognitive mechanisms underlying this technique are still unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the acute responses in spinal excitability and brain activity following three conditions: NMES superimposed on isometric contractions (NMES + ISO), passive NMES, and voluntary isometric contractions (ISO).

Electrophysiological Correlates of Different Proactive Controls during Response Competition and Inhibition Tasks.

The present study aims to investigate the behavioral outcomes and the antecedent brain dynamics during the preparation of tasks in which the discrimination is either about the choice (choice response task; CRT) or the action (Go/No-go), and in a task not requiring discrimination (simple response task; SRT). Using event-related potentials (ERPs), the mean amplitude over prefrontal, central, and parietal-occipital sites was analyzed in 20 young healthy participants in a time frame before stimulus presentation to assess cognitive, motor, and visual readiness, respectively. Behaviorally, participants were faster and more accurate in the SRT than in the CRT and the Go/No-go.

Sex Differences in Cognitive-Motor Dual-Task Training Effects and in Brain Processing of Semi-Elite Basketball Players.

In the current study, we aimed at evaluating the possible sex differences in cognitive-motor dual-task training (CMDT) effects on the sport and cognitive performance of semi-elite basketball athletes. Moreover, we investigated the CMDT effects on proactive brain processing using event-related potential (ERP) analysis. Fifty-two young basketball athletes (age 16.

Effect of anticipatory multisensory integration on sensory-motor performance.

Multisensory integration (MSI) is a phenomenon that occurs in sensory areas after the presentation of multimodal stimuli. Nowadays, little is known about the anticipatory top-down processes taking place in the preparation stage of processing before the stimulus onset. Considering that the top-down modulation of modality-specific inputs might affect the MSI process, this study attempts to understand whether the direct modulation of the MSI process, beyond the well-known sensory effects, may lead to additional changes in multisensory processing also in non-sensory areas (i.

Modality predictability modulation confirms the sensorial readiness function of the pre-stimulus activity in sensory brain areas.

The auditory Positivity (aP) and the visual Negativity (vN) are recently discovered modality-specific event-related potential (ERP) components associated with sensory readiness, which seems promising to study anticipatory perception and attention. However, a crucial aspect of these waves remains to be determined since it is still unclear if these components are indeed related to sensory readiness or represent the result of stimulus predictably. Indeed, earlier studies found these components in tasks where stimuli were repeatedly presented uniquely in the same sensory modality.

The Influence of a Specific Cognitive-Motor Training Protocol on Planning Abilities and Visual Search in Young Soccer Players.

The benefits of sport activity on cognition and especially on executive function development are well-known, and in recent years, several kinds of cognitive-motor training (CMT) have been proven effective in adults and older people. Less is known about possible CMT benefits in children. This study aims to confirm the positive influence played by CMTs on specific executive functions (planning abilities and visual search) in young soccer players.

The Dominance of Anticipatory Prefrontal Activity in Uncued Sensory-Motor Tasks.

Anticipatory event-related potentials (ERPs) precede upcoming events such as stimuli or actions. These ERPs are usually obtained in cued sensory-motor tasks employing a warning stimulus that precedes a probe stimulus as in the contingent negative variation (CNV) paradigms. The CNV wave has been widely studied, from clinical to brain-computer interface (BCI) applications, and has been shown to emerge in medial frontoparietal areas, localized in the cingulate and supplementary motor areas.

Reduction of anticipatory brain activity in anxious people and regulatory effect of response-related feedback.

Elevated anxiety levels degrade task performance, likely because of cognitive function reduction in the frontoparietal brain network. This study aimed to test whether anxiety could impact the frontal cortex anticipatory brain functions and to investigate the possible beneficial effect of response-related feedback on task performance. The electroencephalographic activity was recorded while participants performed two Go/No-go tasks: one with response-related feedback on errors (feedback task) and one task without feedback (standard task).