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The Antagonistic Alterations of Cerebellar Functional Segregation and Integration in Athletes with Fast Demands of Visual-Motor Coordination

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Abstract

The theoretical foundation of brain-computer interface partly lies in the neural mechanism of motor function plasticity. There has been extensive research on the functional neuroplasticity induced by motor skill training in the human cerebral cortex; however, less is known about the specifics within the cerebellum. The present study employed resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data from athletes and matched non-athlete controls to investigate the adaptation of cerebellar functional segregation and integration in athletes who require rapid visual-motor coordination. First, this study utilized a data-driven blind-deconvolution hemodynamic response functions (HRF) retrieval technique to estimate voxel-wise HRF that represent local functional segregation. Second, the study quantified effective connectivity using conditional Granger causality (CGC) analysis as a means of characterizing directed functional integration. Lastly, the logistic regression classification model was applied to evaluating the importance of those significant features in two groups’ comparison. The athletes exhibited greater HRF response heights in the visual-spatial cognitive regions, but lower excitatory/inhibitory effects between these regions and the motor execution areas in the cerebellum when compared to the control group. These findings suggested that there was improved local functional segregation within the visual-spatial cognitive regions, as well as reduced functional integration between these regions and the motor execution areas in the cerebellum among athletes. Our results suggested the antagonistic alterations of cerebellar functional segregation and integration induced by motor skill training, and consequently to accelerate the reaction, movement planning, and execution in athletes who required fast demands of visual-motor coordination. Our findings shed new light on how motor skill training drove neuroplasticity within the cerebellum and offered a deeper understanding of the complementary hypotheses of neural efficiency and neural proficiency that underlay optimal athletic performance.

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Data Availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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Funding

This study was funded by the Ministry of Science and Technology of China (2021ZD0201701 and 2018AAA0100705), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (62173070, 82121003, 62036003, U1808204, 82072006, and 61906034), and the Innovation Team and Talents Cultivation Program of National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (ZYYCXTD-D-202003).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, School of Mathematical Sciences, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, No. 2006, Xiyuan Ave, West Hi-Tech Zone, Chengdu, 611731, People’s Republic of China

    Weiqi Zhou, Yan Li, Jie Li, Mengli Sun, Lisha Gong, Jiali Yu, Jinsong Leng, Fengmei Lu & Qing Gao

  2. School of Foreign Languages, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 611731, People’s Republic of China

    Jueyan Wu

  3. The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, High-Field, Chengdu, 611731, People’s Republic of China

    Rong Li & Huafu Chen

  4. The Third Department of Physical Education and Training, Chengdu Sport University, Chengdu, 610041, People’s Republic of China

    Chengbo Yang

  5. Information Technology Center, Chengdu Sport University, Chengdu, 610041, People’s Republic of China

    Mu Zhang

  6. Department of Neurology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, People’s Republic of China

    Qin Chen

  7. The Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 611731, People’s Republic of China

    Huafu Chen

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  1. Weiqi Zhou
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  14. Huafu Chen
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  15. Qing Gao
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Fengmei Lu, Huafu Chen or Qing Gao.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the research ethical committee of School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Zhou, W., Wu, J., Li, Y. et al. The Antagonistic Alterations of Cerebellar Functional Segregation and Integration in Athletes with Fast Demands of Visual-Motor Coordination. Cogn Comput 15, 1813–1824 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12559-023-10150-7

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