Electroencephalographic Coherence During Visuomotor Performance: A Comparison of Cortico-Cortical Communication in Experts and Novices

The authors assessed electroencephalographic coherence to determine the relation between cortico-cortical communication and visuomotor skill in 15 expert and 21 novice rifle shooters. They then calculated coherence and phase angles among the prefrontal (F3, F4) and ipsilateral cortical regions (central, temporal, parietal, occipital) during the aiming period for the theta (4-7 Hz), low-alpha (8-10 Hz), high-alpha (11-13 Hz), low-beta (14-22 Hz), high-beta (23-35 Hz), and gamma (36-44 Hz) bands. The authors subjected them separately to a series of analyses of variance (Group X Hemisphere X Region X Epoch). Experts generally exhibited lower coherence compared with novices, with the effect most prominent in the right hemisphere. The groups also exhibited differences in phase angle in a number of frequency bands. Coherence was positively related to aiming movement variability in experts. The results support refinement of cortical networks in experts and differences in strategic planning related to memory processes and executive influence over visual-spatial cues.