Sports Psychology

Sports Psychology

Comparison of Cortical–Basal Ganglia and Cortical–Cerebellar Circuits in Athletes of Cognitive and Motor Sports

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Seyedeh Manizheh Arabi 1
Sakineh Soltani Kouhbanani 2
Somayeh Zarenezhad 2
1 Assistance Professor at Bu-Ali Sina University
2 Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology, Faculty of Education and Psychology, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
10.48308/mbsp.2025.236937.1270
Abstract
Purpose: Since cortical and subcortical neural structures are involved in both cognitive and motor functions, the present study aimed to compare the performance of cortical–basal ganglia and cortical–cerebellar circuits in athletes from cognitive and motor sports.
Methods: The participants included 213 individuals consisting of chess players, track and field athletes, and non‑athletes, with 71 participants in each group (age: 17.54 ± 2.25 years). The Neurocircuit Questionnaire was used for data collection. Differences between the groups were analyzed using the non‑parametric Kruskal–Wallis test.
Results: The results revealed significant differences among track and field athletes, chess players, and non‑athletes in cortical–basal ganglia circuits (P ≤ 0.001, H = 146.14) and cortical–cerebellar circuits (P ≤ 0.001, H = 148.04). Athletes (both chess and track and field) showed better performance and higher scores than non‑athletes. In the three‑group comparison, the highest performance in both circuits was observed in chess players, followed by track and field athletes, and then non‑athletes.
Conclusion: The findings suggest that the involvement of these neural circuits in motor processing and the motor demands of sports disciplines may contribute to the superior performance of these circuits in athletes compared to non‑athletes. Moreover, in chess players, the cognitive pathways of these circuits may be further strengthened due to the high cognitive demands associated with performance.
 
Keywords
Basal Ganglia
Cerebellum
Chess
Neural Circuits
Track and Field
Subjects
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Sports Psychology
Volume 17, Issue 1
2025
Pages 155-171

  • Receive Date 23 September 2024
  • Revise Date 30 December 2024
  • Accept Date 18 February 2025