The Brain's Full Potential is Being Unlocked by Businesses Everywhere

To determine the extent to which aspects of the Sport Concussion Assessment Tool 3 (SCAT3) or Child SCAT3 (C-SCAT3), and the King-Devick Test (KDT) predict NeuroTracker baselines.

304 healthy, non-concussed participants with a sporting history (101 females, 203 males) ranging in age from 7-29 years were included in the analysis. Participants completed the SCAT3, KDT and NeuroTracker assessments in a single visit.

A regression analysis revealed that KDT, the delayed recall and coordination subcomponent results of the SCAT 3 explained a significant amount of the variance in NeuroTracker baseline scores, but large variability was found with the other test components. The researchers concluded that NeuroTracker baselines likely account for central cognitive functions above and beyond the SCAT3 or C-SCAT3 and KDT.

To identify across ages, in younger males and females, and to compare, in younger males, the anthropometrics, athletic abilities and perceptual-cognitive skills associated with baseball pitcher's ball velocity.

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Male and female athletes completed a sociodemographic questionnaire followed by anthropometric, athletic ability, perceptual-cognitive skill and pitching velocity assessments. Athletes were categorized by their age categories (11U, 13U, 15U, 18U, 21U). To evaluate the athletes' anthropometrics, height and weight, BMI, waist circumference, arms segmental length and girth were measured. Athletic abilities were assessed using athletes' grip strength, upper body power, vertical jump height, sprint, change of direction, and dynamic balance. Perceptual-cognitive skills performance was assessed with NeuroTracker, and pitching performance assessment was completed using the athletes' average fastball velocity.

In male athletes across each age category all anthropometric, athletic ability and perceptual-cognitive skill factors were associated with pitching velocity with associations, with effects being stronger the older the age category. NeuroTracker baselines has some of the strongest associations to pitching velocity and athletic abilities across age categories.

To assess the inhibitory effects of physiological fatigue on cognitive function in elite athletes, and to determine if perceptual-cognitive conditioning can reduce any such effects.

22 rugby players from the Top 14 French Professional Rugby League were divided into two groups. The trained group underwent 15 NeuroTracker Core training sessions, and the untrained group did only 3 Core sessions (sitting) to determine an initial baseline measure. All the athletes were then assessed on NeuroTracker while performing on an exercise bike at 80% of their maximum heartrate.

For the trained group, NeuroTracker speed thresholds remained within 0.03% of the range of their baseline (performed sitting). For the untrained group, NeuroTracker speed thresholds dropped by 30% from their predicted baseline. Firstly, the findings suggest that physical fatigue can significantly reduce high-level cognitive functions elicited by the NeuroTracker task, even with seasoned professionals. Secondly, the results also indicate that such effects can be mitigated with prior perceptual-cognitive conditioning, with as little as 90 minutes of distributed training.

To assess the extent to which action video game players perform better than non-gamers on cognitive functions measured by NeuroTracker and neuropsychological assessments.

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14 professional and 16 amateur action video game players completed a battery of 7 standardized neuropsychological assessments, a manual dexterity test, and 14 NeuroTracker sessions. Statistical analysis techniques were used to compare cognitive differences.

Analysis revealed that high performance in professional action video games players is associated with enhanced abilities in visual spatial attention, visual and auditory short-term memory, and selective and sustained attention. No significant differences between professionals and amateurs were evident on tasks evaluating executive functions, perceptual manipulation, or manual dexterity. Although both groups displayed a similar learning capacity to improve at NeuroTracker over 90-mins of training, professionals exhibited a distinct performance advantage throughout the intervention. The results overall suggest that elite action video gamers have superior attentional control.

To investigate if a short NeuroTracker training intervention could improve high-level cognitive abilities in elderly populations.

46 participants, aged 63-87 years old completed pre-and-post neuropsychological assessments for selective attention, psychomotor speed, and cognitive flexibility. Active participants completed 21 NeuroTracker sessions (approx. 2 hours of training) over 7 weeks, between pre-and-posts tests. Controls did no training.

Controls showed no change in pre and post tests. In contrast the active NeuroTracker group experienced significant gains in cognitive flexibility, psychomotor speed, and selective attention, and similar improvements in a combined assessment of psychomotor speed and cognitive flexibility.The researchers concluded that NeuroTracker presents a promising tool for recovering and improving these high-level cognitive abilities in older populations.

To examine the role of working memory and visual attention for tracking expertise in different sports.

Two experiments were performed. In the experiment 1 (assessment-only), 31 male and female experienced athletes were divided into high-tracking and low-tracking sports, e.g. soccer vs swimming. They completed 3 assessment blocks (9 trials each) of the Jardine and Seiffert 2D MOT task, using 2, 3 and 4 targets at slow, medium and fast fixed speeds. Eye tracking behavior was recorded during the task. In experiment 2, 36 participants (similar to experiment 1) were divided into a control and active group. Pre and post training, both groups completed the same 2D MOT assessment with eye tracking, as well as 2 types of n-back working memory assessments (combined visual and auditory demands). The active group completed a training intervention of 4 NeuroTracker sessions (20 trials each), using adaptive speed adjustments, whereas the controls did not.

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In Experiment 1, analysis of eye tracking data revealed that directing gaze towards the center of the screen was a beneficial strategy for achieving higher tracking performance. High tracking sports showed superior tracking performance overall. In experiment 2, the active group experienced a large improvement in both NeuroTracker scores and working memory performance post-training, including a 35% increase WM accuracy. Training also transferred to significantly improved performance on the 2D MOT assessment. Controls showed no significant changes in pre-post assessments.

This study investigated the effects of a simulated game-situation cognitive load (NeuroTracker) on lower limb biomechanics, using a landing task relevant to straining of the Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). ACL injuries are known to be one of the most sports common injuries, and occurrence has been linked to cognitive factors.

7 college level healthy athletes (soccer, volleyball, football) performed 16 single-leg landing trials involving a jump forward and a lateral jump to the opposing leg. These movements were measured via force plates and motion capture of the legs and pelvis using 36 markers. The NeuroTracker task was assigned randomly to half of the trials (dual-task procedure), with jumps performed during the tracking phase.

While NeuroTracking hip and/or knee kinematics measurements were significantly different for all participants. The largest change was found with knee abduction angle, known to be most associated to ACL injury. Of the 7 participants, 4 showed biomechanical changes from the added NeuroTracker task that revealed increased ACL strain associated with ACL injury. Based on the preliminary findings, the researchers hypothesize that a NeuroTracker training intervention may reduce risk on of non-contact ACL injury, and will perform a larger study with more detailed biomechanical analysis.

To investigate the ‘selfish brain hypothesis’, which suggests the brain prioritizes its own glucose needs over those of the peripheral organs such as skeletal muscle, using individual and dual-task assessments with NeuroTracker and exercise on a cycle ergometer.

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32 participants were randomly assigned to a no priority, cognitive priority (focus on NeuroTracker task), or physical priority (focus on physical task) group. NeuroTracker and a cycle ergometer were used to measure cognition and physical performance, respectively. Participants completed 5 assessments: 2 cognitive, 1 predicted VO2 max, and 1 dual task. During the dual task participants completed 3 NeuroTracker sessions, while cycling on a cycle ergometer. The cycle ergometer was modified to remove demands on balance, isolating aerobic demands.

Results revealed that the physical priority group had significantly higher cycle ergometer performance compared to the cognitive priority group. However, overall physical performance remained relatively stable throughout the physical and dual task assessments. All groups experienced improvements in their visual tracking speed scores as they progressed through the study. No evidence was found to support the selfish brain hypothesis during dual task performance, in contrast results may indicate an arousal effect from physical exercise, heightening NeuroTracker performance compared to single task performance.

To investigate if cognitive training programs can reduce expected cognitive decline associated with aging.

44 participants of 60 years or older were equally divided into an experimental (with NeuroTracker) and a comparative group (without NeuroTracker) and completed 12 training sessions per week. Both groups practiced mnemonic memory training techniques. Pre and post assessments were also conducted, including a a sociodemographic questionnaire, neuropsychological assessment and NeuroTracker pre and post baseline measures.

Both groups experienced some benefits from the memory training, however only the NeuroTracker trained group achieved transfer benefits for attention, reaction time, visual processing speed, episodic, semantic, subjective and working memory as well as aspects of social cognition. The researchers concluded that NeuroTracker with memory training contributed to significantly improved cognitive performance over memory training alone, and that more research should be conducted for elderly populations with and without cognitive deficits.