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INTRODUCTION: Mirror neurons have been suggested as a potential neural mechanism of observational learning. This study aims to investigate the effect of self-modeling, skilled model, and learning model on mu rhythm suppression and golf putting acquisition and retention. METHODS: The study was conducted on 45 male volunteer students (aged 19.4±0.37 years) in three experimental groups, self-modeling, skilled, and learning models with six sessions of physical and observational training in three periods of pre-test, acquisition, and retention. In the pre-test, after the initial familiarity with the skill, participants performed 10 golf putting actions while scores were recorded. Then, electrical brain waves in C3, C4, and Cz regions were recorded during the observation of 10 golf putting actions by their group-related models. The acquisition period consisted of golf putting training during six sessions, each consisting of six blocks of 10 trials. Before each training block, participants observed golf putting related to their group 10 times in the form of a video. Acquisition and delayed retention tests were also performed by recording scores of 10 golf putting actions, as well as recording electrical brain waves while observing the skill performed by the related model. RESULTS: Mixed analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that the mu rhythm suppression in the pre-test was more in the self-modeling group compared to the skilled model and learning model groups, but this suppression was not significantly different in all three groups in the acquisition and retention tests. In putting task variables, all three groups that had no significant difference in the pre-test period made considerable progress in learning the desired skill from the pre-test to the acquisition test, and this progress was somewhat stable until the retention test. Also, both in the acquisition and retention periods, the self-modeling group showed better performance than the other two groups; however, no significant difference was observed between these groups. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the model-observer similarity is a crucial factor in modeling interventions and can affect the rate of mu rhythm suppression.

Introduction: Studies on pain are generally conducted for two purposes: first, to study patients with pain who have physical changes due to nerve and muscle lesions, and second, to regain the appropriate kinematic post-pain pattern. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of pain on the coordination variability pattern and throwing accuracy., Methods: The study participants included 30 people aged 18-25 years who volunteered to participate in the study. Participants practiced and acquired skills in 10 blocks of 15 trials. In the test phase associated with pain, Individuals were randomly divided into three groups: local pain, remote pain, and control. In their respective groups, participants were tested in a 15-block trial, 24 hours, and 1 week after acquisition., Results: The results revealed that pain did not affect the throwing accuracy (P=0.456). Besides, in the phase of acceleration in throwing, movement variability in the pain-related groups in the shoulder and elbow joints (P=0.518), elbow and wrist (P=0.399), and the deceleration and dart drop phase movement variability in the pain-related groups in the shoulder and elbow joints (P=0.622), elbow and wrist (P=0.534)., Conclusion: Based on the results, the accuracy and coordination variability in pain-related groups were similar. However, to confirm these results, more research is needed on performing motor functions in the presence of pain., Highlights: Pain are generally conducted for two purposes.pain which has physical changes due to nerve and muscle lesions and pain to regain the appropriate kinematic post-pain pattern.People who experience pain show poor motor results.Pain restriction is ordinary in joints and the body compensates by increasing movement., Plain Language Summary: One of the constant concerns of sports science experts is to find ways to improve performance or to know the factors that strengthen or weaken motor learning. After injury, pain has been described as one of the passive symptoms, and the mechanism of how overexertion of joints and muscles increases injury and pain is unknown. Following any injury, pain is one of the most important causes of disability and one of the most important problems in people's general health. Many treated individuals present with pain and impaired movement, and typically changes in movement control are a result of the pain. Research evidence suggests that pain induces changes in cortical excitability and the neuroplasticity model that accompanies practice of a new motor task interferes with the performance improvement that must occur simultaneously. According to the new approaches of motor and biomechanical learning and control, movement variability, especially in movement coordination, is considered as an important and influential factor of a person with different conditions. Novice athletes show high non-functional variability in order to reduce the degrees of freedom and then simplify their motor task, in contrast to skilled people, they display functional variability that allows them to perform a motor task better. in variable conditions. Scientists and researchers have concluded that in the presence of pain, there are changes in the pattern requirements and muscle coordination. Clearly, variability is a main feature of most neurological and musculoskeletal pains, and it is necessary for therapists to diagnose and classify incomplete movements and to effectively manage symptoms by controlling incomplete movements, so conducting such research in this field in order to show muscle and movement changes It is necessary under the influence of pain., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest The authors declared no conflict of interest., (Copyright© 2022 Iranian Neuroscience Society.)