Effect of a neuromodulation protocol associated with sports training on the precision sports performance of a wheelchair basketball para-athlete: A case study

Objective To investigate whether transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS) optimizes the performance of a wheelchair basketball player on precision tasks. Methods A right-handed wheelchair basketball player (1.5 points functional class) with myelomeningocele (low lumbar level) participated in this case study. The tDCS neuromodulation protocol was applied throughout 10 interventions of 20 minutes with a current intensity of 2 mA, simultaneously with sport-specific training, 3 times a week for 4 weeks. Anodic stimulation was performed on the right cerebellar hemisphere (CB2) and cathodic stimulation in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. A control participant was submitted to a sham-tDCS stimulation protocol for the same period. Functional performance was assessed before the intervention and after the 5th and 10th interventions using "pass accuracy," "free-throw shooting," and "spot shot" tests. Outcome measures were compared using percentage differences between preintervention, intermediate intervention, and postintervention values. Results There was a gradual increase in the athlete`s total and average scores in all tests performed, with an overall improvement of 78% between the baseline and final assessments, while the control participant had an overall improvement of 6.5%. Conclusion The tDCS protocol was effective in improving performance in precision activities in a wheelchair basketball player.
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Bibliographic Details
Subjects:
Notations:sports for the handicapped sport games biological and medical sciences
Tagging:Rollstuhlbasketball Fallstudie transkranielle Stimulation Präzision Genauigkeit
Published in:International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance
Language:English
Published: 2024
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1123/ijspp.2023-0128
Volume:19
Issue:5
Pages:510-514
Document types:article
Level:advanced