The Role of Neurofeedback and Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation (tDCS/rTMS) in Enhancing Athletic Performance and Psychological Resilience in Elite Athletes

نوع مقاله : مقاله پژوهشی

نویسندگان

1 Department of Physical Education and Special Motricity, Transilvania University of Brasov, 500068 Braşov, Romania.

2 Escola Superior Desporto e Lazer, Instituto Politécnico de Viana do Castelo, Viana do Castelo, Portugal; ResearchCenter in Sports Performance, Recreation, Innovation and Technology (SPRINT), Melgaço, Portugal

3 Research Unit, Sportive Sciences, Health and Movement, High Institute of Sports and Physical Education of Kef, University of Jendouba, 7100 Kef, Tunisia

4 Department of Physical Education and Sports, University of Granada, Granada, Spain

5 Department of Teacher Education, NLA University College, 0166 Oslo, Norway.

چکیده

Objective: This study investigated the synergistic effects of neurofeedback (NF) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on enhancing athletic performance and psychological resilience in elite athletes, addressing critical gaps in standardized protocols and long-term efficacy within sports neuroscience.
Methods: A randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled crossover design was employed with 60 national-level athletes (30 male, 30 female) stratified by sport type (endurance/skill-based). Participants underwent 10 sessions of either: (1) active NF (SMR upregulation via 64-channel EEG) + active tDCS (2mA over left DLPFC), (2) active NF + sham tDCS, (3) sham NF + active tDCS, or (4) sham NF + sham tDCS. Primary outcomes included sport-specific performance metrics (reaction time, time-to-exhaustion) and psychological resilience (CD-RISC-25), with secondary EEG measures (beta power, P300) assessed at baseline, post-intervention, and 8-week follow-up.
Results: The combined NF+tDCS group demonstrated superior improvements versus sham controls: 15.2% faster reaction time (p < 0.001, d = 1.21), 12.4% increased endurance (p = 0.002), and 22.3-point higher resilience scores (p < 0.001). EEG revealed sustained beta power elevation over the left DLPFC (+2.1 dB at follow-up, p = 0.01), mediating 41% of resilience gains through reduced amygdala reactivity (HRV analysis, β = 0.64, p = 0.003). Skill-based athletes showed greater cognitive benefits, while endurance athletes exhibited stronger psychological gains, with sex-specific effects noted (females: better tDCS response; males: superior NF anxiety reduction).
Conclusion: Combined NF and tDCS induces durable, sport-specific enhancements in both performance and resilience, likely through prefrontal-amygdala circuit plasticity. These findings advocate for personalized neuromodulation protocols in elite sports while highlighting the need for ethical frameworks governing neuroenhancement technologies.

تازه های تحقیق

Key Message:

 

This study demonstrates that combining neurofeedback (NF) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) produces synergistic, long-lasting improvements in both athletic performance (15.2% faster reaction time, 12.4% increased endurance) and psychological resilience (22.3-point gain) in elite athletes. The intervention induces durable neuroplastic changes in prefrontal-amygdala circuits, with effects persisting for 8 weeks, offering a scientifically validated, 

personalized approach to optimizing both physical and mental aspects of elite sports performance.

کلیدواژه‌ها

موضوعات

عنوان مقاله [English]

The Role of Neurofeedback and Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation (tDCS/rTMS) in Enhancing Athletic Performance and Psychological Resilience in Elite Athletes

نویسندگان [English]

  • Georgian Badicu 1
  • Rui Miguel Silva 2
  • Seifeddine Brini 3
  • Francisco Tomas Gonzalez-Fernandes 4
  • Luca Paolo Ardigò 5
1 Department of Physical Education and Special Motricity, Transilvania University of Brasov, 500068 Braşov, Romania.
2 Escola Superior Desporto e Lazer, Instituto Politécnico de Viana do Castelo, Viana do Castelo, Portugal; ResearchCenter in Sports Performance, Recreation, Innovation and Technology (SPRINT), Melgaço, Portugal
3 Research Unit, Sportive Sciences, Health and Movement, High Institute of Sports and Physical Education of Kef, University of Jendouba, 7100 Kef, Tunisia
4 Department of Physical Education and Sports, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
5 Department of Teacher Education, NLA University College, 0166 Oslo, Norway.
چکیده [English]

Objective: This study investigated the synergistic effects of neurofeedback (NF) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on enhancing athletic performance and psychological resilience in elite athletes, addressing critical gaps in standardized protocols and long-term efficacy within sports neuroscience.
Methods: A randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled crossover design was employed with 60 national-level athletes (30 male, 30 female) stratified by sport type (endurance/skill-based). Participants underwent 10 sessions of either: (1) active NF (SMR upregulation via 64-channel EEG) + active tDCS (2mA over left DLPFC), (2) active NF + sham tDCS, (3) sham NF + active tDCS, or (4) sham NF + sham tDCS. Primary outcomes included sport-specific performance metrics (reaction time, time-to-exhaustion) and psychological resilience (CD-RISC-25), with secondary EEG measures (beta power, P300) assessed at baseline, post-intervention, and 8-week follow-up.
Results: The combined NF+tDCS group demonstrated superior improvements versus sham controls: 15.2% faster reaction time (p < 0.001, d = 1.21), 12.4% increased endurance (p = 0.002), and 22.3-point higher resilience scores (p < 0.001). EEG revealed sustained beta power elevation over the left DLPFC (+2.1 dB at follow-up, p = 0.01), mediating 41% of resilience gains through reduced amygdala reactivity (HRV analysis, β = 0.64, p = 0.003). Skill-based athletes showed greater cognitive benefits, while endurance athletes exhibited stronger psychological gains, with sex-specific effects noted (females: better tDCS response; males: superior NF anxiety reduction).
Conclusion: Combined NF and tDCS induces durable, sport-specific enhancements in both performance and resilience, likely through prefrontal-amygdala circuit plasticity. These findings advocate for personalized neuromodulation protocols in elite sports while highlighting the need for ethical frameworks governing neuroenhancement technologies.

کلیدواژه‌ها [English]

  • Neuroenhancement
  • Athletic Performance
  • Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (Tdcs)
  • Psychological Resilience
  • Elite Athletes

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مطالعات عملکردی در روانشناسی ورزشی
دوره 2، شماره 3 - شماره پیاپی 7
مهر 1404
مهر 1404
صفحه 93-105

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  • تاریخ دریافت: 09 اردیبهشت 1404
  • تاریخ بازنگری: 12 تیر 1404
  • تاریخ پذیرش: 07 مرداد 1404
  • تاریخ انتشار: 01 مهر 1404

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