Get Started Cortical correlates of motor control in dynamic cutting actions – A proof-of-concept

Sports injuries are a central topic in sports science research and a central problem in sports. Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are one of the most common and consequential injuries in sports. Since ACL injuries largely occur without direct contact with the knee, inadequate sensorimotor control has been discussed as a potential cause. However, the role of the central nervous system in this context has not been sufficiently researched. Previous studies investigating central nervous correlates in the sense of cortical activity in the context of sports injuries have been limited (due to methodological limitations) to simplified and static experimental designs in which sensory stimuli, motor responses, and (head) movements are carefully controlled. Therefore, there is a lack of research examining both injury-relevant biomechanics and the cortical correlates of sensorimotor control during highly dynamic, sport-specific movements.

The aim of the project is therefore to combine state-of-the-art neuroscience and sports science measurement techniques to enable the simultaneous recording and investigation of brain activity using EEG and movement biomechanics using motion capture during highly dynamic, sport-specific direction-change maneuvers. To this end, the Movement, Training, and Active Aging group at the Institute of Sport and Sports Science at Heidelberg University, in collaboration with the Core Facility for Neuroscience of Self-Regulation at Heidelberg University, is developing and evaluating an experimental setup and a data processing pipeline that enables the simultaneous evaluation of movement analysis and cortical data during a sport-specific direction-change maneuver.

This research project provides the methodological basis for investigating brain activity and its direct relationship to injury-associated biomechanics. Furthermore, this research project provides initial insights into brain activity during intense exercise, expands the methodological possibilities for investigating sports-related brain activity, and thus opens up new research perspectives in the fields of neuroscience, sports science, and cognitive science—particularly for investigating cortical processes in realistic, moving scenarios.

Project Duration

1.6.2024-31.12.2024

Project Lead

Joel Grathwohl