Special Issue Others

Impact of Three-Dimensional Multiple Object Tracking (3D-MOT) on Cognitive Performance and Brain Activity in Soccer Players

Previous studies on three-dimensional multiple object tracking (3D-MOT) training have primarily been conducted in controlled laboratory settings, with limited evidence on athletes’ self-training at home. This study examined the effects of home-based 3D-MOT training using the NeuroTracker X (NTX) application on cognitive performance and brain activity in 29 university soccer players. Participants in the NTX group demonstrated significant post-training improvements in NTX scores (p < .001) and 2-back task accuracy (p = .045), which indicated enhanced 3D-MOT ability, working memory, and attentional functions. Brain wave recordings during the 2-back task revealed a significant increase in alpha power (p < .001). This provided novel evidence that NTX self-training modulated brain activity associated with working memory and attentional control among athletes. These findings highlight the potential of combining NTX interventions with EEG assessments and suggest that NTX-based 3D-MOT self-training may be a practical tool for enhancing attentional aspects of cognitive function in athletes.

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Special Issue Psychology

Transferability of Multiple Object Tracking Skill Training to Professional Baseball Players’ Hitting Performance

This study aimed to determine the effects of multiple object tracking (MOT) skill training on elite baseball players. Baseball demands athletes to exhibit a high level of dynamic movement and quick and accurate situational judgment in multiple situations, including offense, defense, and base running. However, current research has not clarified whether the effects of MOT skills training are transferable to baseball performance. We investigated whether MOT skill training influenced baseball hitting performance before and after the intervention. Twelve players from a Japanese professional baseball team participated, and the intervention spanned approximately five months. The MOT skills of all players significantly improved (n=12). Additionally, we assessed the changes in hitting performance following MOT skill training. The results revealed a significant trend toward an improvement in the zone contact rate, zone swing strike rate, and outside swing strike rate in the breaking ball condition, such as the curveball and slider, indicating a large effect size (n=6). Further research across various competition levels is necessary to explore the transfer effects of MOT training on baseball-specific parameters.

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Technical Article Life Sciences and Basic Medicine

Effects of glucose Ramune candy ingestion on concentration during esports play and cognitive function

This study aimed to determine the effects of glucose (Ramune candy) ingestion on cognitive function during esports mediation and concentration during gameplay. The participants were 20 healthy male students who did not play games usually (mean age ± 19.85, standard deviation = 0.96). The experimental design was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study. The results showed that the ingestion of Ramune candy significantly improved cognitive test scores before and after gameplay. During the esports gameplay, the power percentage of sensorimotor rhythm (SMR, 10-11.75 Hz) waves was significantly higher in the Ramune candy condition than in the placebo condition at 25 to approximately 28 min after the ingestion. These results indicate that the ingestion of Ramune candy effectively maintains a relaxed yet concentrated state during cognitively loaded esports gameplay.

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Article Psychology

The effects of interactive fitness video games on stress and cognitive function

Exercise that stimulates perceptual and cognitive aspects and simultaneously enhances neuromuscular coordination has both cognitive and psychological effects. We examined the effects of an interactive fitness video game in 18 healthy participants (8 males and 10 females). The participants performed under 1) TETRIS, 2) Radio Gymnastics, or 3) FITRIS (interactive fitness video game) conditions on different days. In this experiment, first there was a 4-minute rest period during which the mean heart rate was measured, followed by a cognitive task. The heart rate was measured to confirm the intensity of the exercise. Then either the TETRIS, Radio Gymnastics, or FITRIS condition was initiated, while the mean heart rate was measured again. Then there was another cognitive task, followed by another 4 minute rest and mean heart rate measurement period. Saliva samples were collected after each period where the heart rate was measured. All of the participants completed evaluations of cognitive tasks (executive functions; inhibitory control and working memory) before and after each condition. The results showed that salivary cortisol decreased in all conditions, and both the FITRIS and Radio gymnastics conditions had a positive effect on executive function (inhibitory control and cognitive flexibility). In particular, it was shown that FITRIS had an increased effect on cognitive flexibility.

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