Motor Imagery Training and Shooting Performance in Adolescent Basketball Players

August 29, 2026 updated by: Mertkan Öncü, Uludag University

Effects of Motor Imagery Training on Shooting Performance Under Cognitive-Motor Dual-Task Conditions in Adolescent Basketball Players

This randomized controlled trial evaluated the effects of an eight-week motor imagery training program on shooting performance in adolescent basketball players under single-task and cognitive-motor dual-task conditions. Thirty male basketball players aged 15-17 years were randomly assigned to either a motor imagery group or a control group. Both groups continued their routine basketball training, while the motor imagery group additionally completed a structured PETTLEP-based motor imagery program three times per week for eight weeks. Two-point and three-point shooting performance was assessed before and after the intervention under both single-task and cognitive-motor dual-task conditions. The study aimed to determine whether adding motor imagery training to routine basketball training improves shooting performance and the ability to maintain shooting performance while simultaneously performing a cognitive task.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
30

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Male basketball players aged 15-17 years.
  • Regular participation in basketball training.
  • Voluntary participation in the study.
  • Written informed consent from a parent or legal guardian and assent from the participant.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Presence of a musculoskeletal injury or health condition that could prevent participation in basketball training or performance testing.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Other
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Motor Imagery Group
Participants in this arm continued their routine basketball training and additionally completed a structured PETTLEP-based motor imagery training program three times per week for eight weeks. Each motor imagery session lasted approximately 20-30 minutes and was performed before routine basketball training. The imagery exercises emphasized an internal visual perspective and kinesthetic sensations related to basketball shooting performance.
Behavioral: PETTLEP-Based Motor Imagery Training
Participants completed a structured PETTLEP-based motor imagery training program three times per week for eight weeks, in addition to their routine basketball training. Each session lasted approximately 20-30 minutes and was performed before routine basketball training. The program was structured according to the PETTLEP model (Physical, Environment, Task, Timing, Learning, Emotion, and Perspective) and adapted to basketball shooting. Participants predominantly used an internal visual perspective and were instructed to imagine kinesthetic sensations associated with shooting, including ball release, wrist movement, jumping, balance, and the ball entering the basket.
No Intervention: Control Group
Participants in this arm continued their routine basketball training throughout the eight-week study period and did not receive any additional motor imagery intervention.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Two-Point Shooting Performance
Time Frame: Baseline and immediately after the 8-week intervention
Two-point shooting performance was assessed using the basketball-specific shooting test described by Pojskic et al. (2011). Participants moved between six designated two-point shooting positions and attempted shots after receiving a pass. The test lasted 60 seconds, and the total number of successful two-point shots was recorded as the performance score. The test was performed three times with full recovery between trials, and the best score was used for analysis. Higher scores indicate better shooting performance.
Baseline and immediately after the 8-week intervention
Three-Point Shooting Performance
Time Frame: Baseline and immediately after the 8-week intervention
Three-point shooting performance was assessed using the basketball-specific shooting test described by Pojskic et al. (2011). Participants moved between six designated three-point shooting positions and attempted shots after receiving a pass. The test lasted 60 seconds, and the total number of successful three-point shots was recorded as the performance score. The test was performed three times with full recovery between trials, and the best score was used for analysis. Higher scores indicate better shooting performance.
Baseline and immediately after the 8-week intervention
Two-Point Shooting Performance Under Cognitive-Motor Dual-Task Conditions
Time Frame: Baseline and immediately after the 8-week intervention
Two-point shooting performance under cognitive-motor dual-task conditions was assessed while participants performed the standard two-point shooting test concurrently with a verbal cognitive task. The test lasted 60 seconds, and the total number of successful two-point shots was recorded as the performance score. Cognitive-task accuracy and number of responses were not assessed; therefore, dual-task performance was evaluated based solely on shooting performance under concurrent cognitive load. Higher scores indicate better shooting performance under dual-task conditions.
Baseline and immediately after the 8-week intervention
Three-Point Shooting Performance Under Cognitive-Motor Dual-Task Conditions
Time Frame: Baseline and immediately after the 8-week intervention
Three-point shooting performance under cognitive-motor dual-task conditions was assessed while participants performed the standard three-point shooting test concurrently with a verbal cognitive task. The test lasted 60 seconds, and the total number of successful three-point shots was recorded as the performance score. Cognitive-task accuracy and number of responses were not assessed; therefore, dual-task performance was evaluated based solely on shooting performance under concurrent cognitive load. Higher scores indicate better shooting performance under dual-task conditions.
Baseline and immediately after the 8-week intervention

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Uludag University

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Study Chair: Sadettin Erol, PhD, Uludag University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
April 25, 2026

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
June 20, 2026

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
June 20, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
August 25, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
August 29, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
September 1, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
September 1, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
August 29, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
August 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 2026/176/6/23

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

Cookie Settings

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. For more details carefully read our Privacy and Cookies Policy. ...>>>You can change your preferences or withdraw your consent at any time by deleting the cookies from your website or computer as described in the policy. Please accept it and choose your preferences by ticking the corresponding boxes in the "Manage Settings" section below. Please carefully read our Terms of Service before you proceed with using any part of this website.
«Manage Settings