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To assess the performance transfer effects from NeuroTracker training to professional baseball hitting over a competition season.

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12 Japanese pro baseball players from the Seibu Lions performed NeuroTracker training at their own preferred timing and frequency over 5 months, completing up to 80 sessions each. Throughout this duration and 4 months prior, competition hitting metrics were recorded: zone contact, zone-swing strike, outside swing, outside-swing strike.

On average the baseball players’ NeuroTracker speed threshold scores improved by around 30%, with no ceiling effects from continued training. Metrics on fastball hitting showed no significant changes. However, metrics on non-fastball hitting (e.g. curve balls and sliders) revealed strong positive effects. Successful hit rate increased by +12%, while zone swing and outside swing strikes were reduced substantially by -25.3% and -26.5% respectively. Outside swings were also positively reduced by -9.6%.

To investigate if real-time Neurofeedback can enhance learning rates for NeuroTracker training.

40 healthy adults were assigned to four training groups (ten each), performing either:-

• Standard NeuroTracker training

• No training (control group)

• NeuroTracker with EEG-Neurofeedback

• NeuroTracker with sham Neurofeedback

EEG-Neurofeedback involved closed-loop feedback that automatically detects when a participant has lost track of their targets and immediately reindexes them.

The standard NeuroTracker group, control group and EEG-Neurofeedback groups started a similar level, higher than the sham Neurofeedback group. However the EEG-Neurofeedback showed superior learning rates over all other groups over the course of 10 training sessions. The results show that a closed-loop learning paradigm is highly effective at enhancing learning outcomes on the NeuroTracker task.

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To determine if variance in hydration status would be associated with cognitive performance, as assessed by NeuroTracker.

121 participants performed 15 NeuroTracker sessions across 10 days of visits to the laboratory. On the days of training, recent fluid intake, urine color (Urine color scale, UC), and body water (BIA) were documented.

Individuals with average urine color indicating good hydration performed significantly worse on NeuroTracker than those with a borderline dehydrated indicator, as based on urine color. Participants with no recent beverage consumption performed significantly better than those who had recently consumed water, tea, coffee , and milk. The researchers suggested that optimal hydration may not occur at the highest values of the urine color scale possibly due to moderate hyponatremia and hemodilution that could impact NeuroTracker performance.

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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 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 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.

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 evaluate the impact of the nutritional impact of dietary intake of whole eggs, egg white, and egg yolk on visual cognitive performance (NeuroTracker) in healthy older adults.

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99 healthy men and women aged 50 to 75 years were randomly assigned to one of five groups with different daily consumption of eggs alongside a record of their usual dietary intake. Over 1-month period participants either consumed four egg whites, two whole regular eggs, two whole omega-3-fortified eggs, four egg yolks, or no eggs (control). During the final 2 weeks of the study all participants completed 15 NeuroTracker.

On average male participants performed significantly better at NeuroTracker than females. All participants on egg-based diets performed significantly better across 2-weeks of NeuroTracker training than the no-egg controls. Findings suggest that whole eggs, egg whites and egg yolks are beneficial for visual cognitive performance in healthy older adults.

To examine the influence of nutritional intake on visual perceptual-cognitive performance, measured by NeuroTracker, in young healthy adults.

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98 healthy men (38) and women (60) aged 18–33 years maintained their usual dietary intake while completing NeuroTracker 15 sessions of NeuroTracker over a 15-day period. Food logs and extensive lifestyle measures including body composition, cardiovascular health, sleep and exercise patterns, and general readiness to perform were collected for analysis.

Males consumed significantly more calories, macronutrients, cholesterol, choline, and zinc and performed significantly better on NeuroTracker than the females. Participants who consumed more than 40% of kcals from carbohydrates, less than 24% of kcals from protein, more than 2,000 μg/day lutein/zeaxanthin or more than 1.8 mg/ day of vitamin B2 performed significantly better on NeuroTracker than those who consumed less than those amounts. The researchers concluded that perceptual-cognitive performance is positively influenced by higher carbohydrate, lutein/ zeaxanthin, and vitamin B2 dietary intake, while high protein consumption had negative impacts.