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

To investigate if comprehensive physical and cognitiveassessments can help improve the competitive performance of elite mountainsrunners.

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7 male international-standard mountain runners undertook a battery of physiological and biological tests (blood and urine biochemistry, VO2Max, EKG), along with a NeuroTracker baseline assessment, both at the beginning and end of a competitive season. Systematized medical analyses of the initial data was used to tailor each athlete's ongoing performance programs. In addition, the athletes undertook a NeuroTracker training intervention of 42 sessions across the competitive season. The same post-season battery of assessments along with competition results were analyzed to the determine effects of the adapted training programs.

All athletes' race results improved over previous years' performances. Moderate post-season improvements were seen across the physiological and biological tests from the adapted performance programs. NeuroTracker post-season baselines also improved dramatically, with scores increasing by +75% over pre-season baselines. The researchers concluded the NeuroTracker intervention demonstrated that perceptual–cognitive skills were perfectly trainable and could improve sports performance.

To investigate if NeuroTracker learning rates can characterize different neurodevelopmental conditions in children.

The researchers focused on three different neurodevelopmental conditions: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Specific learning disorder (SLD), and Intellectual developmental disorder (IDD). 101 participants aged 6 to 17 years old completed a total of 30 NeuroTracker sessions over a period of 5 weeks, along with standardized neuropsychological assessments to confirm each neurodevelopmental diagnosis.

Progression in NeuroTracker scores throughout the training program were scientifically analyzed using a latent growth curve modeling technique. This analysis revealed 1) a decreased baseline performance for children with IDD along with slower initial learning rates, 2) children with ADHD and SLD demonstrate a reduced rate of longer-term learning, 3) a significant overlap exists between individuals diagnosed with ADHD and SLD.

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between visual tracking speed (NeuroTracker) and reaction time on basketball specific measures of performance.

12 professional NBA basketball players (Orlando Magic) were tested with a 1-session NeuroTracker baseline (6-mins), reaction time assessment, and the were results compared to competitive performance metric across an NBA season. Competition data analysis focused on Assists, Turnovers, Assist-to-turnover ratio, and Steals.

Finding show that relationships between NeuroTracker baselines were most strongly correlatedwith Assist-to-turnover ratio, and Turnovers. Backcourt players were more likely to outperform frontcourt players in AST and accordingly very likely to achieve higher NeuroTracker performance. Reaction time was not related to any of the basketball-specific performance measures. Overall a single NeuroTracker session baselines showed significant correlation to the NBA players’ ability to see and respond to various stimuli on the basketball court in ways that resulted in better performance.

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 assess the learning capacities of elite athlete populations compared to amateur athletes and nonathlete university students on a neutral cognitive training assessment (NeuroTracker).

308 participants were assessed by completing 15 distributed NeuroTracker sessions, grouped as the following: 102 professional elite athletes (NHL, EPL and Top 14 Rugby), 173 NCAA elite non-professional athletes, and 33 non-athlete university students.

The results showed a clear distinction between level of athletic performance and corresponding fundamental mental capacities for learning a demanding abstract and dynamic scene task. Elite athletes showed significantly higher initial baselines than the other groups, along with substantially superior learning rates. The elite non-professional athletes also similarly significantly higher learning rates over the non-athletes group. For the first time this evidence suggest that a defining characteristic of elite professional athletes is their perceptual-cognitive learning prowess, associated with unusually high levels of neuroplasticity, and that NeuroTracker is a sensitive tool for objectively assessing these abilities.

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.

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 examine the transferability of perceptual-cognitive training using NeuroTracker to on-field soccer performance parameters.

22 NCAA Division I women’s soccer players (ages of 18-25) were split into trained and control groups. After baseline testing on NeuroTracker, the experimental group completed 10 NeuroTracker sessions (60-mins) over four-weeks. Game performance data, successful action, passing percentage, and short-medium range passing percentage, was collected utilizing Wyscout video analysis software during a competitive season.

NeuroTracker visual tracking speeds for the trained group significantly increased by 68% from pre-training baseline, while the control group had a 12% increase from baseline testing effects. Analysis showed no significant effects of training over the control group for on performance metrics, except for average in game passing-accuracy, which increased significantly over the control group.

To investigate if an unsupervised remote NeuroTracker training intervention could subjectively improve performance outcomes with elite athletes across a range of different sports.

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54 elite athletes from boxing, wrestling, women’s handball, women’s soccer, orienteering, biathlon, alpine skiing, sled hockey, badminton and table tennis completed at least four NeuroTracker sessions per week over a 5 week period. The athletes trained independently from the researchers, using personal NeuroTracker accounts. They were also not given any instructions on the training, to avoid potential biases. All the athletes completed pre and post Athlete Satisfaction Questionnaires (7 point Likert scale), to self-assess their current performance status.

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Almost all the participants completed at least the minimum of 4 NeuroTracker sessions per week, indicating a high compliance. On average the athletes experienced an improvement in normalized NeuroTracker speed thresholds of 39% by the end of the 5 weeks. The results of Athlete Satisfaction Questionnaires showed an improvement from a rating of 18.9, to 19.2.