Neural correlates of internal versus external focussing of attention during movement execution and learning

Focussing attention on internal (e.g. joint posture, skin perception, etc) or external (e.g. button to be pressed) cues has an impact on the learning and execution of sequences of motor actions. Several studies have shown that instructions directing the performer's attention towards the environmental consequences of the movement (external focus) facilitate performance and learning compared to those directing attention to the movements themselves (internal focus). We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate the neural correlates underlying internal and external focusing of attention while…