Pre-stimulus alpha rhythms are correlated with post-stimulus sensorimotor performance in athletes and non-athletes: a high-resolution EEG study.

Objective: In this study, we tested the hypothesis that a pre-stimulus brief (1 min) 10-Hz audio-visual flickering stimulation modulates alpha EEG rhythms and cognitive-motor performance in elite athletes and in non-athletes during visuo-spatial demands. Methods: Electroencephalographic (EEG) data were recorded (56 channels; EB-Neuro) in 14 elite fencing athletes and in 14 non-athletes during visuo-spatial-motor demands (i.e. subjects had to react to pictures of fencing and karate attacks). The task was performed after pre-stimulus 15- (placebo) or 10-Hz (experimental) flickering audio-visual stimulation lasting 1 min and after no stimulation (baseline). Results: With reference to the baseline condition, only the 10-Hz stimulation induced a negative correlation between pre-stimulus alpha power and reaction time in the fencing athletes and non-athletes as a single group. The higher the enhancement of alpha power before the pictures, the stronger the improvement of the reaction time. The maximum effects were observed in right posterior parietal area (P4 electrode) overlying sensorimotor integrative cortex. Similar results were obtained in a control experiment in which eight elite karate subjects had to react to pictures of karate and basket attacks. Conclusions: The present results suggest that a preliminary 10-Hz sensory stimulation can modulate EEG alpha rhythms and sensorimotor performance in both elite athletes and non-athletes engaged in visuo-spatial-motor demands. Significance: Identification of the EEG state of sporting experts prior to their performance provides a plausible rationale for the modulation of alpha rhythms to enhance sporting performance in athletes and sensorimotor performance in patients to be rehabilitated. © 2007 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology

Monastic governance: forgotten prospects for public institutions

To overcome agency problems, public sector reforms started to introduce businesslike incentive structures to motivate public officials. By neglecting internal behavioral incentives, however, these reforms often do not reach their stated goals. Our research analyzes the governance structure of Benedictine monasteries in order to gain new insights into solving agency problems in public institutions. A comparison is useful because members of both organizational forms, public organizations and monasteries, see themselves as responsible participants in their community and claim to serve the public good. We study monastic governance from an economic perspective. Benedictine monasteries in Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, and German-speaking Switzerland have an average lifetime of almost 500 years, and only a quarter of them broke up because of agency problems. We argue that they were able to survive for centuries due to an appropriate governance structure, relying strongly on the intrinsic motivation of the members and internal control mechanisms. This governance approach differs in several aspects from current public sector reforms. JEL Classification: D73, G3, Z12, H83 Keywords: Public Governance, New Public Management, Public Sector Reform, Psychological Economics, Agency Problems, Monasteries, Benedictine Orde

Religion and Attitudes to Corporate Social Responsibility in a Large Cross-Country Sample

corporate social responsibility, religion,