• July 2, 2026 | 1:40 PM - 2:35 PM
• PCC,108B

Performance Neuroscience: An Emerging Area of Clinical Specialization for Athletic Trainers

Historically, efforts to optimize human health and performance have focused on the assessment and training of physical capabilities, such as muscle strength, flexibility, power, endurance, and speed. Recent advances in neuroimaging and electrophysiological testing have been revealing brain processing mechanisms that convert sensory inputs into coordinated interactions with the environment. Consequently, interest has been growing in the potential for improvement in sport performance and reduction of injury risk through training of modifiable perceptual-motor performance capabilities. Athletic trainers possess foundational knowledge that needs to be supplemented with understanding of neuromechanical mechanisms underlying goal-directed behaviors to optimize athlete health and performance.

Learning Objectives - Recognize the relevance of cognitive processes to selection of an optimal response option to an environmental demand for rapid action.
- Describe the interrelated nature of factors responsible for impaired perceptual-motor responses to potentially injurious events.
- Consider screening procedures to identify individuals who may possess elevated injury susceptibility as a proactive measure to address potentially modifiable risk factors.
- Apply principles of optimized brain information processing to the implementation of an individualized injury prevention program.

Keywords: Perception-Action; Neural Efficiency; Biopsychosocial Model