Line-bisecting performance in highly skilled athletes: Does preponderance of rightward error reflect unique cortical organization and functioning?

• Published in: Brain and cognition Vol. 54; no. 1; pp. 52 - 57
• Main Author: Carlstedt, Roland A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: San Diego, CA Elsevier Inc 01.02.2004; Elsevier
• Subjects: Anatomical correlates of behavior; Athletes; Athletics; Behavioral psychophysiology; Biological and medical sciences; Brain; Cerebral Cortex - physiology; Control Groups; Electroencephalography; Frontal Lobe - physiology; Functional Laterality - physiology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Handedness; Humans; Laterality; Neglect; Neuropsychological Tests; Neuropsychology; Performance Tests; Personality Traits; Pseudoneglect; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Space Perception - physiology; Sport Psychology; Sports; Test Theory; Visual Perception; Pseudoneglect; Neglect; Neuropsychology; Laterality; Performance; Athletes; Sports; Human; Sport; Vision; Central nervous system; Electrophysiology; Cognition; Electroencephalography; Space perception; Athlete; Bisection task; Encephalon
• ISSN: 0278-2626; 1090-2147
• DOI: 10.1016/S0278-2626(03)00259-8

A line-bisecting test was administered to 250 highly skilled right-handed athletes and a control group of 60 right-handed age matched non-athletes. Results revealed that athletes made overwhelmingly more rightward errors than non-athletes, who predominantly bisected lines to the left of the veridical center. These findings were interpreted in the context of previous EEG research on athletes and brain localization studies of select personality traits. A preliminary theory (Group Cortical Organization and Activation Theory) that highly skilled athletes and other specific homogeneous populations may have developed a unique cortical organization or response system that mediates relative tendencies in cerebral activation was advanced. The potential utility of the line-bisecting test as an assessment and intervention tool in sports was discussed.