BRAIN SLOW POTENTIALS PRECEDING AN ISOMETRIC MAXIMAL ARM FLEXION

This study examined brain slow potentials (SPs) as indicators of prepa ratory processing associated with a maximal isometric arm flexion. Par ticipants (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 teac h them to use move efficient mental strategies to improve their task e xecution. The participants in the control group did not take part in t he program. SPs from frontal (Fz) and centro-lateral (C3, C4) brain ar eas and task performance were measured during a 8.8-s period prior to the precued flexion, before and after the four-week period. The result s demonstrated that the participants in the experimental group showed improved task efficiency after the training program whereas in the con trol group there was not any change in the task performance between th e first and the second experimental session. Interestingly, the partic ipants in the experimental group exhibited a less negative frontal SP shift during the second session in comparison to the first session, su ggesting that the treatment influenced the participants' preparatory s trategies. This interpretation was supported by the finding that the f rontal SP changes did not differentiate between the experimental sessi ons in the control group. The present data provided supporting evidenc e for the view that the SP methodology could be applied for the examin ation of an athlete's preparatory set, as well as employed as manipula tion checks for the induction of optimal psychological state.