AUTHOR=Gabriel Caio Amaral 

TITLE=Martial arts induce quasicritical brain states: a unified, multiscale, and mechanistic theory of brain health optimization

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychology

VOLUME=Volume 16 - 2025

YEAR=2025

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1661566

DOI=10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1661566

ISSN=1664-1078

ABSTRACT=Emerging studies indicate that martial arts practice may benefit brain health; yet current findings are scattered and mostly descriptive, lacking an integrated explanation of underlying mechanisms. This article introduces the Integrative Theory of Martial Arts (ITMA), a theoretical framework developed through a systematic theoretical synthesis of interdisciplinary literature. ITMA explains how well designed martial arts training can optimize brain function by combining sensorimotor, cognitive and social-emotional demands. It proposes that these combined experiences drive the brain toward a quasicritical state—a dynamic regime of neural activity that supports health, efficient information processing, adaptability, and resilience. The theory integrates key concepts such as metastability, functional connectivity, neuroplasticity, neural synchronization, and signal-to-noise ratio as part of a single multiscale neurophysiological cascade. Preliminary empirical studies are cited to illustrate the plausibility of ITMA's propositions. By consolidating fragmented evidence into a unified mechanistic model, ITMA provides a new paradigm and testable hypotheses for future research on martial arts as a neurophysiological intervention, offering a roadmap for designing, evaluating, and scaling programs for brain health and human development.