The effect of attentional focus cues on corticospinal excitability and neuromuscular efficiency during a sustained task

Abstract

Attentional focus has been studied in the context of physical activity and sports as a form of feedback or instruction that aims to improve performance by directing a person's focus either externally or internally. Adopting an external focus (i.e., focus on goals and environment) has been shown to be beneficial to performance relative to an internal focus (i.e., focus on self and body movements) for a range of tasks. However, little is understood about the mechanisms underlying improved performance associated with external focus. Emerging neuroimaging studies have shown changes in brain activity relative to the direction of attention, and data from electromyography shows changes at the muscular level. To bridge the gap in knowledge between what is seen in the brain and the muscle during external and internal focus, we explored corticospinal excitability, which is the connection between brain and muscle and reflects the ability of the motor cortex to generate movement. Understanding the relationship between attentional focus and corticospinal excitability is important for advancing our understanding of basic neural mechanisms and informing the development of interventions aimed at improving motor function and physical performance in individuals.