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To analyze the effectiveness of NeuroTracker training to improve sports vision and cognitive performance using a progressive single and dual-task training protocol.

37 elite water polo (13), taekwondo (12) and tennis elite athletes (12) completed 26 NeuroTracker sessions progressing from single-task training to progressively complex dual-task training. Pre and post training all athletes underwent a comprehensive battery of optometric vision assessments. Throughout the training program both athletes and their coaches completed frequent visual-analogue questionnaire assessments to assess changes in concentration, perception speed and peripheral vision performance.

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Overall NeuroTracker learning rates were high. Although scores initially dropped on progressing to more complex dual-task motor-skills, performance recovered quickly to the level expected with single-task performance. This that dual-task training methods with NeuroTracker can efficiently consolidate new skills into using a progressive overload methodology. Post-training assessments revealed a statistically significant gains in most visual abilities, including static visual acuity, stereopsis, spatial contrast sensitivity, saccadic ocular movements, and visual selective attention. Transfer to related sports performance abilities was seen with both coach and athlete questionnaire assessments, with consistently significant improvements throughout the program. Although the athletes tended to rate their performance higher than coaches, their improvement ratings were close to identical.

To investigate NeuroTracker baselines could be predictive of driving performance across 3 simulated scenarios, to see if these measures could be predictive of driving risks.

115 drivers were divided into three age and experience groups: young inexperienced (18-21 years old), adult experienced (25-55 years old) and older adult (70-86 years old). Participants were tested for 2 hours across three different driving scenarios varying in mental workload (low, medium, high), using a highly sophisticated driving simulator. A total of 18 different metrics on driving behavior were evaluated and compared to NeuroTracker baseline scores.

Statistical analysis of NeuroTracker results and driving performance metric yielded significant correlations, including being predictive of driving speed, breaking speed, and reaction to dangerous events. Low NeuroTracker scores effectively predicted elevated risks of crashes. Lower NeuroTracker scores also correlated significantly with slower average driving speed for older adults, providing evidence towards the theory that driving more slowly is related to the cognitive effects of aging.

To compare performance and muscle architecture changes in starters and nonstarters during a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I women's soccer season.

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28 females (av. 20 years old) were assessed on NeuroTracker baselines, vertical jump power, repeated line drills and reaction time at preseason, midseason, and postseason. Muscle architecture changes using ultrasonography were assessed at preseason and postseason.

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Both starters and non-starters showed similar status or improvements on all assessments across the season, except for line drills performance, which showed greater improvements for starters. NeuroTracker and reaction time performance improved regardless of playtime. Results of muscle architecture analysis indicated that practice training alone provide sufficient stimulus for improving muscle quality during the competitive season. Overall starters did not display significant benefits from competition over athletes who performed training only.

To investigate the effects of motor and perceptual dual-task NeuroTracker training over time, and in particular to see if performing prior NeuroTracker consolidation training significantly influences these effects.

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71 participants were assigned either just NeuroTracker training (iMOT), NeuroTracker with a decisionmaking task (Combi), NeuroTracker consolidation training then with a decision-making task (Consol), or an isolated decision-making task (iDM). The decision-making task involved a motor-response reaction to a simulated birdie with a real badminton racket. Performance was measured through NeuroTracker speed threshold, decision accuracy, and reaction time.

Firstly the results demonstrated that the dual-task component significantly affects NeuroTracker speed thresholds. Secondly that this effect is reduced with training over time. Thirdly that this effect is reduced further when consolidation training on just NeuroTracker is completed beforehand. Additionally, decision-making speed, reaction time and accuracy improved with dual-task training. Overall this study provides evidence that NeuroTracker consolidation training is an effective method for accelerating learning rates across multiple performance domains.

To investigate of NeuroTracker baselines can be a predictor of air traffic control task performance.

46 participants completed 2 hours of assessments including a NeuroTracker baseline, the Corsi Block Tapping and Automated Operation Span tests, followed by a simulated air traffic control task.

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After controlling for age and video game playing, NeuroTracker baselines significantly predicted correct detections of conflicts between aircraft, fewer false alarm responses to conflicts, and faster aircraft acceptance and hand-off performance. NeuroTracker was a stronger predictor of these outcomes, than the Corsi Block Tapping and Automated Operation Span tests. The researchers concluded that the findings demonstrate that NeuroTracker and could be useful for applicant screening and selection of air traffic control personnel.

To evaluate perceptual cognitive abilities among male and female adolescents and determine if undiscovered gender differences in athletes’ perceptual cognitive abilities exist.

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40 nonathletes (20 boys and 20 girls) and 40 athletes (21 boys and 19 girls) aged 17-24 years old completed a short questionnaire about their sports practice. All participants then completed three NeuroTracker sessions.

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The findings confirm the superior perceptual cognitive abilities in young athletes relative to nonathletes. However, results also indicate differences in performance patterns between male and female athletes, with male athletes achieving the highest tracking speeds but female athletes showing faster adaptation to the task by the 3rd session. These results demonstrate that sports engagement and perceptual cognitive abilities are strongly related during adolescence and that this relationship seems more prevalent in athletes for this age group.

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 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 test the theory that driving performance is strongly associated with dynamic processing of multiple objects, by evaluating if NeuroTracker measures correlate with older driving performance in simulated scenarios.

30 experienced drivers with ages ranging from 65-85 years old were tested on one session of NeuroTracker (3D-MOT), and completed up to 3 driving scenarios on the STISIM 3.0 driving simulator. 5 unexpected events were included in the scenarios to test crash risk. The correlations between NeuroTracker speed thresholds and simulator measures (crash rate, lane deviation) were then calculated.

Highly significant correlations were found between NeuroTracker thresholds and both crash rate and lane deviation in the highway driving scenarios. Lower NeuroTracker scores were strongly associated with lane deviation during highway merging, and higher NeuroTracker scores related to participants being less likely to crash across different scenarios, and to have better overall lane maintenance skills. This study adds plausibility to the idea that a multiple object tracking test such as NeuroTracker could be a candidate for inclusion in an assessment battery for older drivers.