In: Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 2016, vol. 48, no. 4, p. 714–719
Different approaches like providing augmented feedback (aF), applying an external focus of attention (EF), or rewarding participants with money (RE) have been shown to instantly enhance motor performance. So far, these approaches have been tested either in separate studies or directly against each other. However, there is no study that combined aF, EF, and/or RE to test whether this provokes...
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In: Neuroscience, 2015, vol. 303, p. 535–543
Non-physical balance training has demonstrated to be efficient to improve postural control in young people. However, little is known about the potential to increase corticospinal excitability by mental simulation in lower leg muscles. Mental simulation of isolated, voluntary contractions of limb muscles increase corticospinal excitability but more automated tasks like walking seem to have no or...
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In: Journal of Sports Sciences, 2015, vol. 33, no. 10, p. 1067–1075
Factors such as an external focus of attention (EF) and augmented feedback (AF) have been shown to improve performance. However, the efficacy of providing AF to enhance motor performance has never been compared with the effects of an EF or an internal focus of attention (IF). Therefore, the aim of the present study was to identify which of the three conditions (AF, EF or IF) leads to the...
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In: Cortex, 2015, vol. 64, p. 102–114
After immobilization, patients show impaired postural control and increased risk of falling. Therefore, loss of balance control should already be counteracted during immobilization. Previously, studies have demonstrated that both motor imagery (MI) and action observation (AO) can improve motor performance. The current study elaborated how the brain is activated during imagination and observation...
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In: Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 2014, vol. 8, p. 972
For consciously performed motor tasks executed in a defined and constant way, both motor imagery (MI) and action observation (AO) have been shown to promote motor learning. It is not known whether these forms of non-physical training also improve motor actions when these actions have to be variably applied in an unstable and unpredictable environment. The present study therefore investigated the...
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In: Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 2014, vol. 24, no. 6, p. e456-461
High fall rates causing injury and enormous financial costs are reported for children. However, only few studies investigated the effects of balance training in children and these studies did not find enhanced balance performance in postural (transfer) tests. Consequently, it was previously speculated that classical balance training might not be stimulating enough for children to adequately...
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In: PLoS ONE, 2013, vol. 8, no. 12, p. e81038
It is well known that following skill learning, improvements in motor performance may transfer to the untrained contralateral limb. It is also well known that retention of a newly learned task A can be degraded when learning a competing task B that takes place directly after learning A. Here we investigate if this interference effect can also be observed in the limb contralateral to the trained...
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In: European Journal of Sport Science, 2013, vol. 13, no. 1, p. 49-57
The present study investigated whether or not four weeks of supervised slackline training (SLT) performed on nylon webbing improves postural stability. Twenty-four healthy adults participated in the study and were assigned to either SLT (n=12) or a control (CON) group (n=12). The SLT group completed a four week training program, while the CON group received no training. Centre of gravity...
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In: Experimental Brain Research, 2013, p. -
It is well established that the presence of external feedback, also termed augmented feedback, can be used to improve performance of a motor task. The present study aimed to elucidate whether differential interpretation of the external feedback signal influences the time to task failure of a sustained submaximal contraction and modulates motor cortical activity. In Experiment 1, subjects had to...
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In: Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 2011, vol. 21, no. s1, p. 62–68
The present study was designed to assess the influence of 12 weeks (28.5±2.6 skiing days) of alpine skiing on spinal reflex plasticity, strength and postural control in senior citizens. Therefore, soleus H-reflexes and postural stability were measured during bipedal quiet and unstable stance in 22 (12 male and 10 female) elderly subjects aged 66.6±1 years. Furthermore, the maximal isometric...
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