Background. In high-level diving, episodes of sudden interruption of motor control, commonly referred to as “blackout” motor blackout, are observed. These episodes are characterized by a sudden loss of the ability to perceive, represent, or regulate movement, with significant implications for the athlete’s performance and safety.
Objectives. This paper aims to analyze motor blackout by integrating computational theory and ecological theory of motor control, in order to identify the neurocognitive and emotional mechanisms underlying its onset and to outline evidence-based intervention strategies. This paper also opens a field of interest for further in-depth research.
Methods. A theoretical and comparative analysis of motor control models and contributions from sport psychology regarding the relationship between emotion, attention, and sensorimotor coordination was conducted. Preliminary observations on cases of elite athletes who experienced the phenomenon were also considered.
Results. From a computational perspective, blackout emerges as a dysfunction in the recall or execution of the internal motor program, due to interference between automatic and conscious control, overload of working memory, or alteration of executive functions (inhibition, attention, cognitive flexibility). In ecological terms, it represents a loss of attunement between perception and action, with a temporary inability to correctly perceive environmental affordances (possibilities, opportunities for action). Intense emotions—particularly fear and mental fatigue—negatively influence attentional stability and neuromuscular synchronization, generating disorganization of the entire sensorimotor system.
Conclusions. We propose an integrated intervention model that combines mental training techniques, emotional and attentional regulation, pre-performance routines, training in variable contexts, and controlled stress simulations. This approach aims to enhance cognitive-motor resilience and restore the balance between body, environment, and task. Understanding emotional and perceptual dynamics is crucial not only for the prevention and management of motor blackout but also for maintaining optimal performance and psychological well-being in elite athletes.
My speech offers a critical analysis of the gap between political rhetoric and the scientific understanding of human movement within the culture of public decision-makers, denouncing how the superficial use of concepts — and of the policies that should stem from them — undermines the country’s ability to recognize the fundamental importance of movement on a biopsychosocial and educational level. I discuss my experience of a parliamentary hearing to which I was invited, during which I highlighted the emerging cultural and institutional marginalization of movement, which has been improperly reduced to a mere synonym of sport. I then propose a systemic perspective: movement precedes life outside the womb, structures child development through motor play — a right enshrined in the UN Convention — and represents the neurobiological and functional basis of learning, health and social participation. Foundational motor education is identified as the cornerstone of individual and collective well-being, to be promoted through schools, families and qualified professionals. Sport constitutes only one possible expression of movement, not its foundation. I conclude by asserting the need to recognize movement as a vital societal infrastructure, clearly distinguishing it from sport, and to develop a national policy that protects it throughout the entire lifespan. Only in this way can movement become a driver of public health, educational equity and social cohesion.
This special issue is primarily dedicated to “Psychotherapy in Sport,” with five articles written by the speakers who participated in the conference on this topic. The event was organized as the concluding session of the Research Methodology course of the Center for Research in Psychotherapy’s School of Specialization. Key players from the world of sport […]
