title: Differences in corticospinal system activity and reaction response between karate athletes and non-athletes.
abstract: The aim of this study was to verify the hypothesis that transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) parameters over the hand region of the motor cortex, such as resting motor threshold (rMT) and motor evoked potential (MEP) latency, predict the behavioural performance of karate athletes in the response time (RT) test. Twenty-five male karate athletes (24.9 ± 4.9 years) and 25 matched non-athletes (26.2 ± 4.5 years) were recruited. Using TMS, we investigated cortico-spinal system excitability. Compared with controls, the athletes showed faster RT (p < 0.001), lower rMT (p < 0.01), shorter MEP latency (p < 0.01), and higher MEP amplitude (p < 0.01); moreover, there was a significant positive linear correlation between RT and rMT (p < 0.001), between RT and MEP latency (p < 0.0001), and a negative correlation between RT and MEP amplitude (p < 0.001). The practice of competitive sports affects both the central and peripheral nervous system. Subjects that showed higher cortical excitability showed also higher velocity, at which the neural signal is propagated from the motor cortex to the muscle and consequently better RT. The lower rMT and the shorter MEP latency observed in athletes support the effects of training in determining specific brain organizations to meet specific sport challenges.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy.|Department of Motor, Human and Health Science, University of Rome, "Foro Italico", Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Fiorenzo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Moscatelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy. gianni.messina@unina2.it.|Department of Experimental Medicine, Section of Human Physiology and Unit of Dietetics and Sports Medicine, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy. gianni.messina@unina2.it.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Messina
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Valenzano
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy.
authors.forename: Annamaria
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Petito
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio Ivano
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Triggiani
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Medicine, Section of Human Physiology and Unit of Dietetics and Sports Medicine, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonietta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Messina
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Medicine, Section of Human Physiology and Unit of Dietetics and Sports Medicine, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Monda
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Salerno, via Allende snc, Baronissi, SA, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Viggiano
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: De Luca
authors.affiliation: Department of Motor, Human and Health Science, University of Rome, "Foro Italico", Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Capranica
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Medicine, Section of Human Physiology and Unit of Dietetics and Sports Medicine, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Marcellino
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Monda
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cibelli
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004576:Electromyography; D019054:Evoked Potentials, Motor / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D016139:Martial Arts / Q000502:physiology*; D011712:Pyramidal Tracts / Q000502:physiology*; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology*; D050781:Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Cortical excitability; Karate; Reaction time; Transcranial magnetic stimulation