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The neural basis of kinesthetic and visual imagery in sports: an ALE meta − analysis

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Abstract

Imagery is a widely spread technique in the sport sciences that entails the mental rehearsal of a given situation to improve an athlete’s learning, performance and motivation. Two modalities of imagery are reported to tap into distinct brain structures, but sharing common components: kinesthetic and visual imagery. This study aimed to investigate the neural basis of those types of imagery with Activation Likelihood Estimation algorithm to perform a meta − analysis. A systematic search was used to retrieve only experimental studies with athletes or sportspersons. Altogether, nine studies were selected and an ALE meta − analysis was performed. Results indicated significant activation of the premotor, somatosensory cortex, supplementary motor areas, inferior and superior parietal lobule, caudate, cingulate and cerebellum in both imagery tasks. It was concluded that visual and kinesthetic imagery share similar neural networks which suggests that combined interventions are beneficial to athletes whereas separate use of those two modalities of imagery may seem less efficient from a neuropsychological approach.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    Alberto Filgueiras

  2. Universidade Federal Fluminense, Campos, Brazil

    Erick Francisco Quintas Conde

  3. Western University, London, Canada

    Craig R. Hall

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  1. Alberto Filgueiras
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  2. Erick Francisco Quintas Conde
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  3. Craig R. Hall
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Correspondence to Alberto Filgueiras.

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Filgueiras, A., Quintas Conde, E.F. & Hall, C.R. The neural basis of kinesthetic and visual imagery in sports: an ALE meta − analysis. Brain Imaging and Behavior 12, 1513–1523 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11682-017-9813-9

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