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Int J Sports Med 2009; 30(9): 647-651
DOI: 10.1055/s-0029-1220732
Training & Testing

© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Saccades and Prefrontal Hemodynamics in Basketball Players

K. Fujiwara 1 , N. Kiyota 1 , M. Maekawa 1 , K. Kunita 2 , T. Kiyota 3 , K. Maeda 4
  • 1Department of Human Movement and Health, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
  • 2Research Center for Urban Health and Sports, Osaka City University, Osaka, Japan
  • 3Department of Psychology, School of Humanities, Sapporo International University, Sapporo, Japan
  • 4Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Health Science, Morinomiya University of Health Sciences, Osaka, Japan
Further Information

Publication History

accepted after revision February 26, 2009

Publication Date:
30 June 2009 (online)

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Abstract

We investigated saccade performance and prefrontal hemodynamics in basketball players with different skill levels. Subjects were 27 undergraduate basketball players and 13 non-athlete undergraduates (control group: CON). The players were divided into two groups: those who had played in the National Athletic Meet during high school or played regularly (n=13, elite group: ELI) and those who were bench warmers (n=14, skilled group: SKI). Horizontal eye movement and oxy-, deoxy-, and total-hemoglobin (Hb) concentration in the prefrontal cortex during pro- and anti-saccade were measured using electro-oculography and near-infrared spectroscopy, respectively. Only error rate in anti-saccade was less in ELI (4.8±4.0%) than SKI (13.7±12.6%) and CON (13.9±8.3%) (p<0.05). In ELI alone, oxy- (−0.15±0.18 mmol*mm) and total-Hb (−0.12±0.15 mmol*mm) during anti-saccade decreased significantly compared with that during rest (p<0.05), while those in CON significantly increased (oxy-Hb: 0.17±0.15 mmol*mm, total-Hb: 0.14±0.14 mmol*mm) (p<0.05). These results suggest that inhibition of eye movement to a visual target changes from voluntary to automatic through the motor learning of basketball.

Key words

Anti-saccade - prefrontal hemodynamics - basketball - motor skill - near-infrared spectroscopy

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Correspondence

Dr. K. Fujiwara

Department of Human Movement and Health

Graduate School of Medical Science

Kanazawa University

13-1 Takara-machi

920-8640 Kanazawa

Japan

Phone: +81/76/265 22 25

Fax: +81/76/234 42 19

Email: fujikatu@med.m.kanazawa-u.ac.jp

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