From Vision to Decision: The Role of Visual Attention in Elite Sports Performance

Elite sports performance fundamentally relies on a complex set of brain functions engaged once visual signals are relayed from the eye. In this review, we overview a series of these neural mechanisms-focusing specifically on the critical role of attention in sculpting the visual processing that takes place leading up to a decision. These brain functions are introduced within the theoretical concept of the 'Perception-Action Cycle.' Vision does not stop at the eye but requires a coordinated set of brain mechanisms called on to convert visual input into rapid decisions about action.