The placebo effect in the motor domain is differently modulated by the external and internal focus of attention.

ABSTRACT: Among the cognitive strategies that can facilitate motor performance in sport and physical practice, a prominent role is played by the direction of the focus of attention and the placebo effect. Consistent evidence converges in indicating that these two cognitive functions can influence the motor outcome, although no study up-to-now tried to study them together in the motor domain. In this explorative study, we combine for the first time these approaches, by applying a placebo procedure to increase force and by manipulating the focus of attention with explicit verbal instructions. Sixty healthy volunteers were asked to perform abduction movements with the index finger as strongly as possible against a piston and attention could be directed either toward the movements of the finger (interna

SUBMITTER: Rossettini G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6095847 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature