Motor Imagery, Hand Mental Rotation, and Performance in Female Volleyball Players

Motor Imagery Ability, Hand Mental Rotation and Performance Outcomes in Female Volleyball Players: A Comparative Cross-sectional Study

This comparative cross-sectional study investigates the relationship between motor imagery (MI) ability, hand mental rotation (HMR), and performance outcomes in female volleyball players. Volleyball is a high-speed, cognitively demanding sport requiring precise motor coordination, rapid decision-making, and explosive movements. MI-the mental simulation of movement-and HMR-the cognitive manipulation of hand orientation-are critical for motor planning and execution. The study has two primary objectives: (1) to compare MI ability and HMR performance between female volleyball players and sedentary controls, and (2) to evaluate associations between MI/HMR scores and reaction time as well as vertical jump performance among volleyball players. The investigators hypothesize that volleyball players will exhibit superior MI and HMR abilities compared to controls, and that higher MI and HMR scores will correlate with faster reaction times and greater vertical jump height. Findings from this study will elucidate the cognitive-motor mechanisms underlying athletic performance and may inform training strategies to enhance neuromotor efficiency in sport-specific contexts.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Reaction Time; Motor Imagery; Volleyball; Vertical Jump Performance

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 52

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Turkey (Türkiye)
  • Beykoz
    • Istanbul, Beykoz, Turkey (Türkiye), 34158
      • İstanbul Medipol University
  • Istanbul
    • Bakırköy, Istanbul, Turkey (Türkiye), 34158
      • Ayşe Yazgan

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: N/A

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

The study population consists of licensed female volleyball players competing in regional leagues and healthy female adults with no history of professional sports participation.

Description

Inclusion Criteria: Volleyball Group

• Female participants aged 18-25 years
• Licensed professional volleyball players competing in national or regional leagues
• Currently playing an official main or secondary position
• Minimum of 5 years of professional volleyball experience
• Actively competing in volleyball for at least 1 year
• Training more than 10 hours per week
• No injury in the past 6 months that prevented participation in training or matches
• Ability and willingness to participate voluntarily
• Provided written informed consent

Inclusion Criteria: Control Group

• Female participants aged 18-25 years
• No history of participation in professional or recreational overhead sports
• No lower extremity injury within the past 6 months
• Less than 1 hour per week of structured exercise within the past 6 months
• No previous licensed sports participation
• Provided written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria (Applied to Both Groups)

• Neurological, orthopedic, or systemic diseases
• History of lower extremity injury in the past 6 months
• Any pain, pathology, or instability affecting the upper or lower extremities
• Regular medication use
• Visual or hearing impairments
• Diagnosed cognitive or attention disorders

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

2

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Female Volleyball Players; Female athletes currently participating in competitive volleyball; no intervention applied.
Controls Group; Female individuals not engaged in regular physical activity; no intervention applied.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Mental Chronometry Test	Mental chronometry ratio calculated as |Actual Time - Imagined Time| / Actual Time, measured during five actual vertical jumps and five imagined vertical jumps. Lower values indicate better motor imagery performance. Time measured in seconds using a stopwatch; ratio is unitless.	Baseline (single assessment during the initial study visit)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Hand Mental Rotation Task	Mean response time (milliseconds) for left/right hand discrimination tasks in the Orientate® application. Lower values indicate faster cognitive processing related to mental rotation.	Baseline
Reaction Time (ms)	Mean reaction time across three trials measured using the BlazePod® wireless LED sensor system. Participants respond to visual stimuli with their dominant hand. Lower values indicate better reaction performance.	Baseline
Vertical Jump Height (cm)	Mean jump height calculated from three countermovement jumps recorded and analyzed using the My Jump 2 smartphone application. Higher values indicate better lower-limb explosive performance.	Baseline

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Medipol University
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Ayşe Yazgan, Medipol University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): November 10, 2025
• Primary Completion (Actual): November 25, 2025
• Study Completion (Actual): December 10, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: November 25, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 25, 2025
• First Posted (Estimated): December 8, 2025

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): December 26, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 19, 2025
• Last Verified: December 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: MedipolU-OP-AY-03

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No