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This paper covers foundational concepts of NeuroTracker’s relevance to training of cognitive capacities deemed critical in sports performance, particularly in dynamic team-sports. It also contains a study investigating the effects of attentional loads in learning paradigms, with the aim of understanding optimal load conditions for training perceptual-cognitive ability.

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4 elite professional sports teams trained their athletes on NeuroTracker (15-30 sessions) during their competition seasons. An English Premier Team club, a National Hockey League team, and a European Rugby team were all trained in the standard sitting down position to isolate any influence from attentional mechanisms involved in posture control. Another NHL team performed the training in standing position, involving basic balance demands on attention.

Taking the statistical average for learning progression on NeuroTracker, the three professional sports teams training in sitting position showed near identical progression, with rapid early learning slowing down towards longer term but continued learning. The standing sports team showed much lower NeuroTracker scores, but more importantly slower overall learning progression, with a large magnitude of difference to the other teams. The findings clearly demonstrate the link between balance control mechanisms and perceptual-cognitive demands solicited by NeuroTracker training. This demonstrates that cognitive training loads need to be sensitively optimized to attentional thresholds in order to generate effective short and longer term learning adaptations.

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To combine several tests known to assess driving fitness and propose a methodology to bring these together under a single index termed the ‘Driver’s Safety Index’.

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115 licensed drivers between the ages of 18 and 86 were separated into two groups: 64 young participants (average age of 29 years), and 51 older participants (average age of 77 years). Each participant was assessed on three different experimental phases. 1. Visual tests: visual acuity test (V1), stereoscopic vision test (V2), and a binocular visual field test (V3). 2. Simulator driving tests across 3 difficulty based scenarios: highway (low), rural (medium) and city (high). 3. NeuroTracker as a visuo-cognitive test. A wide range of driving performance metrics from the simulator test were analyzed for correlations with the visual tests, age, and NeuroTracker scores.

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There were limited correlations between driving performance and the visual tests. High NeuroTracker scores correlated strongly with high driving performance, and low scores with low driving performance, along with a strong relationship for crash risk. NeuroTracker scores were also a better predictor of driving performance than age. Driving abilities are strongly associated with NeuroTracker scores. These findings highlight the importance of visuo-cognitive abilities in the assessment of driving abilities. This study paves the way toward a single, common indicator of driving behaviour. The study authors recommend that NeuroTracker should be a component in the battery of tests for obtaining or renewing a driving license.

To examine if NeuroTracker training transfers to useful field of view (UFOV) performance, a measure strongly associated with driving performance.

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Twenty healthy young adults between the ages of 23 and 33 years were recruited and evenly assigned to either a NeuroTracker training program or active control group using a math game (2048). Both groups completed 5 hours of training distributed over 5 weeks. Both groups completed pre-post standardized assessments of UFOV.

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The NeuroTracker training group exhibited significantly improved UFOV performance, whereas the active control group showed only a small, statistically nonsignificant improvement in the task. The researchers suggest that NeuroTracker and UFOV performance are likely dependent on overlapping cognitive abilities, and that these abilities can be trained and measured in young adults which could lead to improving driving safety.

To examine the practical efficacy of cognitive enhancement interventions through a gold-standard template for assessing use of such tools, and to assess NeuroTracker evidence against the template for enhancing attention, working memory and visual information processing speed.

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To assess cognitive tools and NeuroTracker specifically against the following gold-standard criteria and with qEEG findings on changes in neuroelectric brain activity: 1. Robust transfer effects, 2. No Side Effects or Risk of Toxicity, 3. Minimal time and monetary investment, 4) Lasting effects, 5) No ethical issues, 6) Can be used in combination with other interventions, 7) Can be applied to any population.

3-hours of training over 5-weeks with NeuroTracker demonstrated robust effects on attention, working memory, and visual information processing speed as measured by neuropsychological tests. Corresponding changes measured by qEEG were also corroborated these intervention effects. NeuroTracker was concluded to meet the gold standard criteria in points 1, 2, 3, and 5, with some evidence to support the other points, but further research needed.

To determine timeframes required for baseline updates for NeuroTracker and ImPACT, based on long-term retest reliability.

At the start of two consecutive seasons, 30 athletes with no recent history of mTBI completed baseline assessments of NeuroTracker and ImPACT. The test–retest reliability of the results was assessed via three different statistical analyses.

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The Visual Motor Speed composite score of the ImPACT was the only component of the assessment with outcomes with acceptable retest reliability. NeuroTracker baselines also met these standards. The researchers concluded that NeuroTracker has an acceptable level of test–retest reliability after one year in comparison to ImPACT.

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To assess transfer from a NeuroTracker training intervention to near, mid-level, far transfer tasks.

84 graduate participants (av. 21 years old) were randomized to 3 trained groups and 1 passive control group. The trained groups completed either 5 or 3 standard sessions of NeuroTracker, or 5 sessions of a portable version of NeuroTracker (Microsoft Surface Pro tablet). The passive group completed only pre-post NeuroTracker baselines. All groups then completed pre-post assessments on a simplified 2D multiple object tracking task, an N-back working memory assessment, and on a video-based military driving task.

All trained groups showed significant improvements in NeuroTracker scores from 20-30 minutes of training. The passive control group also showed some modest improvements from only completing baselines. NeuroTracker training transferred to significant pre-post improvements in the 2D multiple object tracking test, but with smaller effects that improvements in NeuroTracker scores. Performance was found to be significantly better post-training for the trained groups on the working memory test, but not for the control group. No transfer effects were found for the video-based military task.

To review the existing perceptual-cognitive research and outline the relevance of NeuroTracker for the performance assessment and enhancement of competitive soccer abilities.

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Several papers published on NeuroTracker were reviewed, including ‘Perceptual-Cognitive Training of Athletes’, ‘3D-Multiple Object Tracking task performance improves passing decision-making accuracy in soccer players’, ‘Visual tracking speed is related to Basketball-specific measures of performance in NBA players’, and ‘Enhancing Cognitive Function Using Perceptual-Cognitive Training’.

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The combined existing research provides significant evidence for the usefulness of perceptualcognitive training to assess and enhance soccer abilities. Cognitive abilities are a significant feature of athletic excellence, and elite soccer players differ in their superior perceptual abilities in comparison to amateur players. NeuroTracker training has been found to improve high-level cognitive abilities known to be central factors in predicting soccer performance. Specifically, research has demonstrated that after just 3 hours of 3D multiple object tracking training, soccer players’ experienced a dramatic reduction in passing errors, from an error rate of 47%, down to just 28%.

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To examine the effects of a high intensity intermittent exercise (HIIE) protocol on performance with a perceptual-cognitive task (NeuroTracker), and whether effects differ between children, young adults, and older adults.

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12 children, 12 young adults and 12 older adults completed a HIIE program consisting of eleven 30-second intervals at 90% VO2 max, interspersed with 2-minute active recovery periods at 50% VO2max. Before and during this exercise protocol, three sessions of NeuroTracker task were performed at 5, 15, and 25 minute intervals.

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Young adults had significantly higher absolute NeuroTracker scores than children and older adults. Apart children, NeuroTracker scores improved each session, despite the exercise demands (greatest for young adults). The findings suggest that intensive exercise protocols are suitable to be combined with NeuroTracker cognitive training with younger and older adults, but not with children.

To investigate if beef and beef-related nutrient intake can explain the variance in visual cognitive performance in young females.

52 college age women performed 15 NeuroTracker sessions over 15 days with normal eating habits, as a preliminary study. Then 80 college age women were randomized in an RCT study to either a daily beef or veggie patty and consumed 1 patty/day for 30 days, and assessed with NeuroTracker.

In the preliminary study, higher iron, cholesterol, choline, arginine and B vitamins levels were all significantly associated with higher NeuroTracker scores. In the RCT study, the beef group demonstrated higher average NeuroTracker scores. The researchers suggest that increased intake of beef associated nutrients may increase visual cognitive performance in college age women.