Neural Mechanisms of Visual–Spatial Judgment Behavior under Visual and Auditory Constraints: Evidence from an Electroencephalograph during Handgun Shooting

Abstract

Light and noise are important factors affecting shooting performance, and shooters can exhibit physiological processes that differ from normal shooting when they are subjected to disturbed visual and auditory conditions. The purpose of this study was to explore the neural mechanism of shooting preparation in skilled shooters with visual and auditory limitations. We designed an experiment and recorded the electroencephalograph (EEG) and shooting performance indexes of 40 individuals skilled in marksmanship during the shooting preparation stage under three conditions: low light, noise interference, and a normal environment. EEG relative band power features and event-related desynchronization/synchronization (ERD/ERS) features were extracted and analyzed. The results showed that (1) the average score of the shooters was 8.55 under normal conditions, 7.71 under visually restricted conditions, and 8.50 under auditorily restricted conditions; (2) the relative EEG band power in the frontal lobe (Fp1, Fp2), frontal lobe (F4, F8), left temporal region (T7), central lobe (CP2), and parietal lobe (P3, PO3) in the theta band was significantly lower than in the other two environments (p < 0.05), and there was no significant difference between the power intensity of the shooter in the noisy environment and that in the normal environment; and (3) in the low-light environment, a significant negative correlation was found between the central region, the left and right temporal regions, and the parietal lobe (p < 0.05). These findings provide a basis for further understanding neural mechanisms in the brain during the shooting preparation phase under visually and auditorily restricted conditions.