Abstract des Autors

This study examined brain slow potentials (SPs) as indicators of preparatory processing associated with a maximal isometric arm flexion. Participants (n=12) were first randomly assigned to the experimental or control group. Following this, members in the experimental group took part in a four-week mental training program, whose purpose was to teach them to use more efficient mental strategies to improve their task execution. The participants in the control group did not take part in the program. SPs from frontal (Fz) and centro-lateral (C3, C4) brain areas and task performance were measured during a 8.8-s period prior to the precued flexion, before and after the four-week period. The results demonstrated that the participants in the experimental group showed improved task efficiency after the training program, whereas in the control group there was not any change in the task performance between the first and the second experimental session. Interestingly, the participants in the experimental group exhibited a less negative frontal SP shift during the second session in comparison to the first session, suggesting that the treatment influenced the participants' preparatory strategies. This interpretation was supported by the finding that the frontal SP changes did not differentiate between the experimental sessions in the control group. The present data provided supporting evidence for the view that the SP methodology could be applied for the examination of an athlete's preparatory set, as well as employed as manipulation checks for the induction of optimal psychological state. Verf.-Referat