Abstract: Objective: To explore the plasticity of brain activity of small-ball players in resting state using regional homogeneity (ReHo). Methods: Recruited small-ball student athletes and matched control people, collected resting-stated functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data, and calculated Reho indicators of cerebral regional homogeneity. Results: Athletes had higher ReHo values in left anterior cingulate cortex, insula, thalamus and vermis as compared with control group. These cerebral regions are important knots of autonomic neural circuit responsible for cardiovascular adjustment and feedback. Conclusion: The improvement of ReHo values in the autonomic neural circuit suggests that there is a more effective automatic neural circuit which helps improve perception, concentration, movement planning and fast responses in high-paced small-ball games.

Key words: sports medicine, brain functional imaging, resting-state, small-ball players, regional homogeneity