title: Neural Efficiency in Expert Cognitive-Motor Performers During Affective Challenge.
abstract: Skilled individuals demonstrate a spatially localized or relatively lower response in brain activity characterized as neural efficiency when performing within their domain of expertise. Elite athletes are experts in their chosen sport and thus must be not only adept in the motor domain but must be resilient to performing under the stress of high-level competition. Such stability of performance suggests this population processes emotion and mental stress in an adaptive and efficient manner. This study sought to determine if athletes with a history of successful performance under circumstances of mental stress demonstrate neural efficiency during affective challenges compared to age-matched controls. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, the blood-oxygen level-dependent response was recorded during emotional challenge induced by sport-specific and general unpleasant images. The athletes demonstrated neural efficiency in brain regions critical to emotion regulation (prefrontal cortex) and affect (insula) independently of their domain of expertise, suggesting adaptive processing of negative events and less emotional reactivity to unpleasant stimuli.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Kinesiology, School of Public Health , University of Maryland at College Park , College Park , Maryland.|b Neuroscience and Cognitive Sciences Program , University of Maryland at College Park , College Park , Maryland.
authors.forename: Michelle E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Costanzo
authors.affiliation: c Center for Functional and Molecular Imaging , Georgetown University Medical Center , Washington , DC.
authors.forename: John W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: VanMeter
authors.affiliation: d Department of Applied Physiology and Kinesiology , University of Florida , Gainesville , Florida.
authors.forename: Christopher M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Janelle
authors.affiliation: e Language Section , National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health , Bethesda , Maryland.
authors.forename: Allen
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Braun
authors.affiliation: a Department of Kinesiology, School of Public Health , University of Maryland at College Park , College Park , Maryland.|b Neuroscience and Cognitive Sciences Program , University of Maryland at College Park , College Park , Maryland.
authors.forename: Matthew W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.affiliation: b Neuroscience and Cognitive Sciences Program , University of Maryland at College Park , College Park , Maryland.
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Oldham
authors.affiliation: a Department of Kinesiology, School of Public Health , University of Maryland at College Park , College Park , Maryland.|b Neuroscience and Cognitive Sciences Program , University of Maryland at College Park , College Park , Maryland.|f Center for Advanced Study of Language , University of Maryland at College Park , College Park , Maryland.
authors.forename: Bartlett A H
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Russell
authors.affiliation: a Department of Kinesiology, School of Public Health , University of Maryland at College Park , College Park , Maryland.|b Neuroscience and Cognitive Sciences Program , University of Maryland at College Park , College Park , Maryland.|f Center for Advanced Study of Language , University of Maryland at College Park , College Park , Maryland.
authors.forename: Bradley D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Hatfield
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D056352:Athletes; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D059907:Functional Neuroimaging; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: emotional reactivity; experts; fMRI; neural efficiency