Effects of open-skill training on brain gray matter volume: activation likelihood estimation analysis based on voxel-based morphometry

Abstract Brain plasticity refers to the brain's ability to reorganize structurally in response to experience and training. Motor skill practice, particularly in open-skill sports, has been consistently linked to structural differences in gray matter volume (GMV). However, prior research is largely limited to individual sports, lacking a comprehensive quantitative synthesis across multiple disciplines. This meta-analysis employed activation likelihood estimation to identify consistent GMV characteristics in open-skill athletes. Fifteen voxel-based morphometry studies comprising 653 participants, 76 foci, and 20 contrasts comparing athletes with non-athlete controls were included. Athletes consistently exhibited relatively larger GMV in the right superior frontal gyrus orbital part, right postcentral gyrus, right middle temporal gyrus, left inferior temporal gyrus, left precuneus, left inferior parietal lobule, and left precentral gyrus (uncorrected p < 0.001). Notably, the right superior frontal gyrus orbital part and right postcentral gyrus remained significant after familywise error correction (p < 0.05). These findings delineate a robust neuroanatomical signature associated with open-skill athletic expertise, characterized by structural distinctions within an integrated network supporting cognitive, perceptual, and sensorimotor processing. By synthesizing evidence across diverse open-skill disciplines, this meta-analysis advances our understanding of how complex, real-world motor experiences relate to brain structure, offering potential insights for cognitive-motor interventions beyond athletic contexts.