Search

Your search keyword '"Comani Silvia"' showing total 6 results
Start Over Author "Comani Silvia" Topic attention
6 results on '"Comani Silvia"'

1. Visuo-attentional and sensorimotor alpha rhythms are related to visuo-motor performance in athletes.

Author

Del Percio C, Babiloni C, Bertollo M, Marzano N, Iacoboni M, Infarinato F, Lizio R, Stocchi M, Robazza C, Cibelli G, Comani S, and Eusebi F

Subjects
Adult, Analysis of Variance, Athletes, Electrooculography methods, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Movement physiology, Photic Stimulation methods, Reaction Time physiology, Young Adult, Alpha Rhythm, Attention physiology, Brain Mapping, Cerebral Cortex physiology, Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory physiology, Psychomotor Performance physiology
Abstract

This study tested the two following hypotheses: (i) compared with non-athletes, elite athletes are characterized by a reduced cortical activation during the preparation of precise visuo-motor performance; (ii) in elite athletes, an optimal visuo-motor performance is related to a low cortical activation. To this aim, electroencephalographic (EEG; 56 channels; Be Plus EB-Neuro) data were recorded in 18 right-handed elite air pistol shooters and 10 right-handed non-athletes. All subjects performed 120 shots. The EEG data were spatially enhanced by surface Laplacian estimation. With reference to a baseline period, power decrease/increase of alpha rhythms during the preshot period indexed the cortical activation/deactivation (event-related desynchronization/synchronization, ERD/ERS). Regarding the hypothesis (i), low- (about 8-10 Hz) and high-frequency (about 10-12 Hz) alpha ERD was lower in amplitude in the elite athletes than in the non-athletes over the whole scalp. Regarding the hypothesis (ii), the elite athletes showed high-frequency alpha ERS (about 10-12 Hz) larger in amplitude for high score shots (50%) than for low score shots; this was true in right parietal and left central areas. A control analysis confirmed these results with another indicator of cortical activation (beta ERD, about 20 Hz). The control analysis also showed that the amplitude reduction of alpha ERD for the high compared with low score shots was not observed in the non-athletes. The present findings globally suggest that in elite athletes (experts), visuo-motor performance is related to a global decrease of cortical activity, as a possible index of spatially selective cortical processes ("neural efficiency").

Published
2009
Full Text
View/download PDF

2. To Focus or Not to Focus: Is Attention on the Core Components of Action Beneficial for Cycling Performance?

Author

Bertollo, Maurizio, di Fronso, Selenia, Lamberti, Vito, Ripari, Patrizio, Comani, Silvia, Bortoli, Laura, Robazza, Claudio, Filho, Edson, and Reis, Victor Machado

Subjects
ATTENTION, PERFORMANCE, CYCLING, ENDURANCE sports, FATIGUE (Physiology), COLLEGE students, PSYCHOLOGY
Abstract

We conducted a counterbalanced repeated measure trial to investigate the effect of different internal and external associative strategies on endurance performance. Seventeen college-aged students were randomly assigned to three experimental conditions to test the notion that different attention-performance types (optimal Type 1, functional Type 2, and dysfunctional Type 3) would influence endurance time on a cycling task. Specifically, Type 1 represented an effortless and automatic, "low-feeling" attentional mode. Type 2 referred to an associative focus directed at core components of the task. Type 3 represented an attentional focus directed at irrelevant components of the task. Participants completed three time-to-exhaustion-tests while reporting their perceived exertion and affective states (arousal and hedonic tone). Results revealed that Type 1 and Type 2 attentional strategies, compared with Type 3 strategy, exerted functional effects on performance, whereas a Type 3 strategy was linked to lower performance, and lower levels of arousal and pleasantness. Applied implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Published
2015
Full Text
View/download PDF

4. Neural Markers of Performance States in an Olympic Athlete: An EEG Case Study in Air-Pistol Shooting.

Author

di Fronso, Selenia, Robazza, Claudio, Filho, Edson, Bortoli, Laura, Comani, Silvia, and Bertollo, Maurizio

Subjects
*BRAIN physiology, *CONTROL (Psychology), *AFFECT (Psychology), *AROUSAL (Physiology), *ATHLETIC ability, *ATTENTION, *BRAIN mapping, *COGNITION, *STATISTICAL correlation, *ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAPHY, *EXERCISE physiology, *MATHEMATICAL models, *NEUROPHYSIOLOGY, *SHOOTING (Sports), *SPORTS psychology, *THEORY, *ELITE athletes, *DESCRIPTIVE statistics
Abstract

This study focused on identifying the neural markers underlying optimal and suboptimal performance experiences of an elite air-pistol shooter, based on the tenets of the multi-action plan (MAP) model. According to the MAP model's assumptions, skilled athletes' cortical patterns are expected to differ among optimal/automatic (Type 1), optimal/controlled (Type 2), subop-timal/controlled (Type 3), and suboptimal/automatic (Type 4) performance experiences. We collected performance (target pistol shots), cognitive-affective (perceived control, accuracy, and hedonic tone), and cortical activity data (32-channel EEG) of an elite shooter. Idiosyncratic descriptive analyses revealed differences in perceived accuracy in regard to optimal and suboptimal performance states. Event-Related Desynchroniza-tion/Synchronization analysis supported the notion that optimal-automatic performance experiences (Type 1) were characterized by a global synchronization of cortical arousal associated with the shooting task, whereas suboptimal controlled states (Type 3) were underpinned by high cortical activity levels in the atten-tional brain network. Results are addressed in light of the neural efficiency hypothesis and reinvestment theory. Perceptual training recommendations aimed at restoring optimal performance levels are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Published
2016

5. Proficient brain for optimal performance: The MAP model perspective

Author

Silvia Conforto, Selenia di Fronso, Laura Bortoli, Maurizio Bertollo, Maurizio Schmid, Silvia Comani, Claudio Robazza, Edson Filho, Bertollo, Maurizio, Di Fronso, Selenia, Filho, Edson, Conforto, Silvia, Schmid, Maurizio, Bortoli, Laura, Comani, Silvia, and Robazza, Claudio

Subjects
Computer science, Frequency band, Processing efficiency, lcsh:Medicine, Alpha (ethology), Psychiatry and Psychology, Electroencephalography, General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology, Performance effectivene, 03 medical and health sciences, 0302 clinical medicine, medicine, Attention, Attentional control theory, EEG, Performance effectiveness, Sport, Neural efficiency, Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology (all), Neuroscience (all), medicine.diagnostic_test, business.industry, General Neuroscience, Medicine (all), lcsh:R, Perspective (graphical), ERD/ERS, Repeated measures design, Cognition, Pattern recognition, 030229 sport sciences, General Medicine, Variance (accounting), Kinesiology, C800, Agricultural and Biological Sciences (all), Artificial intelligence, Neurofeedback, General Agricultural and Biological Sciences, business, 030217 neurology & neurosurgery, Performance optimization, Neuroscience
Abstract

Background.The main goal of the present study was to explore theta and alpha event-related desynchronization/synchronization (ERD/ERS) activity during shooting performance. We adopted the idiosyncratic framework of the multi-action plan (MAP) model to investigate different processing modes underpinning four types of performance. In particular, we were interested in examining the neural activity associated with optimal-automated (Type 1) and optimal-controlled (Type 2) performances.Methods.Ten elite shooters (6 male and 4 female) with extensive international experience participated in the study. ERD/ERS analysis was used to investigate cortical dynamics during performance. A 4 × 3 (performance types × time) repeated measures analysis of variance was performed to test the differences among the four types of performance during the three seconds preceding the shots for theta, low alpha, and high alpha frequency bands. The dependent variables were the ERD/ERS percentages in each frequency band (i.e., theta, low alpha, high alpha) for each electrode site across the scalp. This analysis was conducted on 120 shots for each participant in three different frequency bands and the individual data were then averaged.Results.We found ERS to be mainly associated with optimal-automatic performance, in agreement with the “neural efficiency hypothesis.” We also observed more ERD as related to optimal-controlled performance in conditions of “neural adaptability” and proficient use of cortical resources.Discussion.These findings are congruent with the MAP conceptualization of four performance states, in which unique psychophysiological states underlie distinct performance-related experiences. From an applied point of view, our findings suggest that the MAP model can be used as a framework to develop performance enhancement strategies based on cognitive and neurofeedback techniques.

Published
2016

6. The Effect of Continuous and Discretized Presentations of Concurrent Augmented Visual Biofeedback on Postural Control in Quiet Stance

Author

Maurizio Bertollo, Maurizio Schmid, Silvia Comani, Carmen D'Anna, Daniele Bibbo, Silvia Conforto, D'Anna, Carmen, Schmid, Maurizio, Bibbo, Daniele, Bertollo, Maurizio, Comani, Silvia, and Conforto, Silvia

Subjects
Adult, Male, medicine.medical_specialty, medicine.medical_treatment, Emotions, Posture, lcsh:Medicine, Biofeedback, eye tracking, Article, visual adaptation, human experiment, Young Adult, Physical medicine and rehabilitation, male, motor control, Postural Balance, medicine, Humans, controlled study, body equilibrium, human, normal human, visual information, lcsh:Science, Set (psychology), Mathematics, Balance (ability), visual feedback, Multidisciplinary, Proprioception, adult, lcsh:R, Motor control, Biofeedback, Psychology, attention, task performance, female, QUIET, Eye tracking, lcsh:Q, Female, standing, visual stimulation, Research Article
Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of a continuous and a discretized Visual Biofeedback (VBF) on balance performance in upright stance. The coordinates of the Centre of Pressure (CoP), extracted from a force plate, were processed in real-time to implement the two VBFs, administered to two groups of 12 healthy participants. In the first group, a representation of the CoP was continuously shown, while in the second group, the discretized VBF was provided at an irregular frequency (that depended on the subject's performance) by displaying one out of a set of five different emoticons, each corresponding to a specific area covered by the current position of the CoP. In the first case, participants were asked to maintain a white spot within a given square area, whereas in the second case they were asked to keep the smiling emoticon on. Trials with no VBF were administered as control. The effect of the two VBFs on balance was studied through classical postural parameters and a subset of stabilogram diffusion coefficients. To quantify the amount of time spent in stable conditions, the percentage of time during which the CoP was inside the stability area was calculated. Both VBFs improved balance maintainance as compared to the absence of any VBF. As compared to the continuous VBF, in the discretized VBF a significant decrease of sway path, diffusion and Hurst coefficients was found. These results seem to indicate that a discretized VBF favours a more natural postural behaviour by promoting a natural intermittent postural control strategy.

Published
2015

Catalog

Books, media, physical & digital resources
See catalog results