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A study just published in Military Psychology reports some remarkable effects of cognitive training on Working Memory span, but before looking at that let’s get a handle on what Working Memory really means. Virtually everyone has heard of it, but most people mix it up with short term memory, like the ability to remember a phone number you just heard. Working Memory is very different. Although it does involve holding transient information, it’s really more about rapidly processing and manipulating it.

Think of it more like the skills needing for juggling balls as opposed to simply holding them. As such it’s a very high level mental capacity essential for awareness, comprehension and decision-making. Known as a core executive function, thousands of Working Memory studies have shown its critical effect in human performance as well as its central role in cognitive impairments when weakened. For this reason senior researchers in the Canadian Armed Forces sought to find effective methods for improving Working Memory span through training interventions. Specifically they were looking for a technique that could provide this when training time is limited.

Based on indications from previous research and the need for a task that can adapt to different levels of ability, they chose to test NeuroTracker in a 41 personnel study using active and passive controls. First they measured Working Memory baselines on three standardized measures, then the soldiers performed 10 single NeuroTracker sessions (6-8mins each) spread out over two weeks, and finally they retested on Working Memory.

Not surprisingly the active group (placebo training) and the passive group (no training) had negligible difference in scores, but the NeuroTracker-trained group showed significant boosts in all three measures used in the tests, leading the researchers to conclude:

“Our resulted demonstrated that…NeuroTracker training can lead to gains in verbal, visual, and matrix Working Memory span, registering medium to large effect sizes in the process…[NeuroTracker] training can benefit Working Memory capacity in a military sample”.

As the trained group showed higher than normal NeuroTracker learning rates, the level of transfer effects may not be consistent across other populations. That said, an intervention of approximately 65 minutes of training is extremely short as far as cognitive programs go, making the effects on high level cognitive function all the more surprising.

The published study: Military Psychology, Online First Publication, May 19, 2016. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/mil0000125

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Dr. Pierre Beauchamp holds a Ph.D. in Sport Psychology (University of Montreal), with over thirty-five years of experience as a sport science consultant and performance coach with the Canadian Olympic Association and Canada’s National Teams for a variety of Olympic Games/World Championships and many International Olympic Committees.

We covered how goalkeepers can gain a mental edge in penalty shootouts in Part I. On the other side, how can shooters gain an advantage given all the tricks that goalkeepers can have up their sleeves? Understanding the key factors for penalty takers seems simple. One study concluded that anticipating the goalkeeper’s movements (keeper-dependent strategy) might degrade penalty kick performance, mainly due to insufficient time to modify the kicking action. Though this will be dependent upon the class of the shooter, Neymar for example is known for his prowess in stuttering his run-up to tease reactions from the goalkeeper, which he can adapt to. The big picture however is the psychological domain, namely anxiety. Research showed that the actual importance of the kicks (indicative of stress) was negatively related to the outcomes of the kicks, whereas skill and fatigue were less, or not, related to outcome.

This turns out to be an overwhelming influencer of performance, with stats showing that players score on fewer than 60% of their attempts when a miss will instantly result in a loss for the team, compared to 92% of their attempts when a goal will win the game. Note that huge difference is not due to factors in the overall game or the competitors, simply the present penalty score line.

The specific effects of anxiety are also backed-up by sports science investigation – it increases the amount of attention paid to the goalkeeper, disrupts gaze behavior, and increases the likelihood that shooters will produce saveable shots much closer to the goalkeeper. These findings come out of Attentional Control Theory, and as someone who specializes in managing psychological and physical stress for optimized performance, I know attentional abilities are critical, particularly selective and sustained attention. It’s a central reason why I founded the Peak Performance Mind Room, geared for building athlete self-regulation and self-control.

For penalty shooters, anxiety in the form of hesitation or inability to focus is an enormous threat to performance, and can directly determine the outcome of soccer cup finals. Yet researchers show that in competitive sports, it’s a double-edged sword that can also enhance performance when honed, regardless of the intensity. The key for soccer players looking to keep form when it matters most, is to be decisive and condition themselves mentally so they are ready and look forward to the challenge to perform no matter the pressure.

You can reach Dr. Pierre Beauchamp by visiting his website: http://www.mindroompsp.com/

“The key for soccer players looking to keep form when it matters most, is to be decisive and condition themselves mentally so they are ready and look forward to the challenge to perform no matter the pressure.”

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Qu'est-ce que le NeuroTracker?

Le NeuroTracker est un outil pour entrainer et développer l’attention et la vigilance, aptitudes mentales essentielles à la prise de décisions sur un terrain de jeu. Le NeuroTracker est utilisé par des équipes sportives d’élites. Et ça fonctionne! Rien d’étonnant, puisque le NeuroTracker s’appuie sur des données scientifiques éprouvées. Dans les sports d’équipe, les joueurs doivent repérer et suivre leurs coéquipiers, leurs adversaires et la balle tout en même temps. Le NeuroTracker permet de cibler et d’entrainer ces habiletés en de courtes séances d’environ 5 minutes chacune.

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Comment fonctionne le NeuroTracker?

Le NeuroTracker entraine l’Attention et la vigilance en utilisant une méthode nommée: repérage 3D de cibles mouvantes multiples “3D Multiple Object Tracking’’. Il ya huit balles jaunes à l'intérieur d'un cube virtuel. Quatre d'entre elles clignotent en orangé.

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Vous devez identifier et suivre les quatres dernières balles, tout en ignorant les autres. Après les avoir identifiées, les balles se mettent toutes simultanément en mouvement. L’exercice dure 8 seconde, à la fin desquelles les balles s’immobilisent et vous devez identifier les 4 cibles initiales. Si votre réponse est correcte, le NeuroTracker augmente la vitesse des balles pour augmenter le niveau de difficulté. Si votre réponse est inexacte, la vitesse est réduite. Une séance répète l’exercice de 8 secondes 20 fois.

Durant l'entrainement, le cerveau apprend à réaliser des prédictions très complexes. En effet, il doit analyser et prédire le mouvement des objets présentés en à peine quelques fractions de secondes. En se croisant, les objets ajoutent encore à la complexité de la tâche exigée par le cerveau. En effet, à ce moment, le cerveau doit utiliser sa mémoire de travail afin de prédire le mouvements des objets alors qu'ils sont en fait hors de vue.
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À quels types de bénéfices peut s’attendre un quart-arrière suite à un entrainement avec le NeuroTracker?

En développant une attention et une vigilance accrues, vous serez à même de réagir très rapidement et ainsi prendre des décisions cruciales au millièmes de seconde, que se soit pour réaliser des jeux spectaculaires ou encore pour bloquer ceux de l'adversaire.  

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La performance du quart-arrière tient notamment à sa capacité exceptionnelle à prédire les divers mouvements du jeu, et ce à quelques secondes près. Il s'avère crucial pour lui de prédire avec exactitude où seront les receveurs et les défenseurs lorsque le ballon arrive. C'est ici que le Neurotracker entre en jeu en permettant de vous entrainer à exceller dans ce genre de prédictions. Le Neurotracker s’avère, en ce sens, l'outil de travail privilégié pour un quart-arrière voulant se surpasser.

L’expertise acquise à l’entrainement se transpose t-elle sur le terrain de jeu?

Les statistiques compilées au sein d'équipes d'élite ainsi qu'en laboratoire démontrent que oui.  En 2010, les Canucks de Vancouver ont connu une saison exceptionnelle. Il s’est avéré que l’unique changement adopté par la formation sportive a été l’utilisation intensive du NeuroTracker.

En 2011, les entraineurs de la fédération française de rugby ont constaté que les joueurs ayant suivi l’entrainement au NeuroTracker ont performé beaucoup mieux que les autres. Et ceci, à l’aveugle, sans savoir quels athlètes avaient été entrainés. En 2014, notre équipe scientifique a démontré que des athlètes de niveau universitaire au soccer avaient amélioré la précision de leurs tirs de 20%.

Après combien de temps peut-on observer des résultats?

Vous observerez des résultas significatifs après une quinzaine de scéances d’entrainement (générallement effectuées durant 3 à 5 semaines). Habituellement,  les scéances se déroulent deux à trois fois par semaine. Il faut cependant savoir qu'il n'y a aucun danger à faire cet entrainement  quotidiennement.

Le coin des experts est une nouvelle série sur du site NeuroTracker.net qui présente l’opinion d’experts provenant de plusieurs domaines. Cette semaine, notre expert invité est Josh Freedland, un ancien joueur de football de niveau collégial qui est maintenant entraineur personnel certifié au NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine). Sa biographie se trouve à la fin du présent article.

On imagine aisément qu’il doit être difficile voire impossible de cerner une stratégie adverse avant qu’elle soit exécutée. Or, de nouvelles études démontrent que la chose est toutefois possible à certaines conditions. En analysant des variables spécifiques, il s’avère que l’on peut prédire la stratégie de jeu de l’équipe adverse.

Mise en contexte

Nous sommes au quatrième quart et il ne reste que 10 minutes à la partie. Votre équipe mène avec un score de 10-7 et l’équipe adverse est en offensive, au 3e essai à leur ligne de 25 verges avec 8 verges à faire. L’équipe adverse s’aligne en formation «shotgun». Vous êtes en ligne défensive. Quelles sont les étapes nécessaires pour identifier en quelques secondes la stratégie que vous devrez contrer?

Étape 1 : Analyser la situation

• Essai et distance : Il s’agit du 3e essai pour l’équipe adverse et il leur reste 8 verges à parcourir. Dans tout type de stratégie, deux possibilitées s’offrent aux attaquants : faire une passe ou courir. En position de défense, vous tentez de déterminer laquelle des 2 actions est plus probable. La probabilité de parcourir 8 verges en choisissant la course est plus faible qu’en optant pour une passe. Il faut aussi prendre en considération qu’il s’agit du 3e essai, impliquant que si l’équipe en offensive ne réussit pas à parcourir les 8 verges, elle devra considérer la possibilité de faire un botté.

• Score et temps : Même si l’équipe adverse est en train de perdre en ce 4e quart, il lui reste encore du temps pour tourner la situation en sa faveur. Il serait logique qu’elle opte pour un botté si les joueurs ne parviennent pas à parcourir les 8 verges restantes lors du 3e essai.

Étape 2 : Analyser la formation

• Porteur de ballon : La position du porteur de ballon peut représenter un indice important. Si ce dernier se trouve derrière le Quart-arrière, il se pourrait qu’il se prépare pour un main à main. Sinon, il sera probablement utilisé comme bloqueur dans l’éventualité d’une charge surprise.

• Receveurs écartés : Les receveurs écartés peuvent souvent être séparés en 2 catégories; ceux qui sont petits et rapides ainsi que ceux plus costaux dont le rôle est de bloquer.  Lorsque les plus petits receveurs sont sur le terrain, cela indique généralement qu’ils préparent un jeu de passe.

Étape 3 : Expérience

• Langage corporel : L’étude intensive d’enregistrements d’anciens matchs peut aider à mieux connaitre certains joueurs. C’est à ce moment que l’attention et la capacité à interpréter des signaux entre en jeu. Des détails subtils comme des tics nerveux peuvent être d’importants indicateurs. Lors du Championnat de l’AFC en 2015, les Broncos ont découvert que le centre des Patriots déplace la tête immédiatement avant chaque snap. Ceci a permis à l’équipe à la défensive de se synchroniser parfaitement avec les snap de l’équipe adverse, menant à 17 plaquages et 4 sacs du Quart Tom Brady.

• Statistiques : Généralement, les rapports prématch et les statistiques peuvent procurer un avantage additionnel. Peu importe l’entraineur ou la situation, les gens ont tendance à utiliser des stratégies qui ont déjà fonctionné par le passé. En regardant les données il est possible de faire une estimation éclairée quant à la stratégie, mais il est important de ne pas se fier qu’aux chiffres.

Entrainez votre cerveau. Améliorez votre jeu.

Les bons joueurs ont des attributs physiques de taille et sont très prisés par leur équipe. Les grands joueurs se distinguent par la qualité de leur travail , leur grande motivation ainsi que leur entrainement mental. Ils étudient des enregistrements  des heures durant pour identifier les plus infimes détails qui pourraient leur donner un avantage sur leurs adversaires. Ils ont aussi la capacité à traiter mentalement une quantité astronomique d’informations en une fraction de seconde, ce qui leur permet de prendre des décisions rapides dans des conditions maximales de stress.

Les grands joueurs améliorent leur jeu grâce à leur acuité mentale supérieure sur le terrain et de par  l’énergie qu’ils déploient pour exceller avec constance malgré le stress. D’autres joueurs moins bien entrainés risques de céder sous la pression.

Aimeriez-vous entrer en contact avec Josh?  Il est entraineur à Brain & Body Clinic à Boston. Visitez brainbodyboston.com pour plus de détails.

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Josh Freedland est le président/PDG de Brain & Body Performance : Leader en Nouvelle-Angleterre en amélioration de la neuroplasticité et entrainement voué à la performance. Brain & Body Performance utilise des technologies de pointe et des programmes spécialisés pour améliorer la concentration mentale, la performance et la récupération. Il est aussi un entraineur certifié au NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine), et il entraine mentalement et physiquement des athlètes de niveaux  secondaires, universitaires et professionnels. En plus de travailler avec des athlètes, il travaille édalement avec des gens souffrant de TDAH, d’autisme, de syndrome post-commotionnel et de dégénérescence cognitive. Vous pouvez lire ses autres articles en visitant son bloguewww.brainbodyblog.com

Josh, étudiant gradué du Bates College  a complété son baccalauréat en psychologie en concentration santé biologie. Il faisant partie de l’équipe de football du collège et  avait donc  un intérêt marqué pour la psychologie du sport. Après avoir subi une importante commotion cérébrale, il s’est intéressé à plusieurs  recherches controversées sur le cerveau.

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Dr. Pierre Beauchamp holds a Ph.D. in Sport Psychology (University of Montreal), with over thirty-five years of experience as a sport science consultant and performance coach with the Canadian Olympic Association and Canada’s National Teams for a variety of Olympic Games/World Championships and many International Olympic Committees.

Goalkeepers – Game Theory vs. Sixth Sense

The UEFA Euro semi-finals are right around the corner providing another chance to see one of the most fraught and exciting moments in sport – penalty shootouts. As we covered earlier in the Experts Corner, keepers have around 5 tenths of a second to make a save from the point of the kick, yet it takes around 1 second for a keeper to react perceptually, and physically, to make a save.

“Given the probability distribution of kick direction, the optimal strategy for goalkeepers is to stay in the goal’s center…yet goalkeepers still almost always jump right or left”

This brings into play the idea that keepers have to plan a save prior to the kick and take their chances with a norm of around 1 in 5 saves being successful. An almost paradoxical approach here is to not move. An analysis of 286 penalty kicks in top leagues and championships worldwide shows that given the probability distribution of kick direction, the optimal strategy for goalkeepers is to stay in the goal’s center. This isn’t uncommon knowledge, yet goalkeepers still almost always jump right or left. Why? ‘Norm theory’ implies that a goal scored yields worse feelings for the goalkeeper following inaction (staying in the center) than following action (jumping), leading to a bias for action.

This game theory approach isn’t a career recipe for success though, in-depth analysis of penalties shows kickers kick to their weak side just often enough so that the goalie doesn’t always want to jump the same way. Likewise, goalies pick an equilibrium strategy for blocking shots. In the end both sides are adept at levelling out the odds when it comes to a game of rock-paper-scissors.

Instead there are more grounded approaches discovered through sports science research, which could yield a definitive edge. For example, although they don’t realize it, the majority of goalkeepers stand just off center in the goal area, typically 10cm out. Even though this is imperceptible to the shooter, rigorous analysis of penalty recordings shows they are statistically more likely to shoot towards the side with more space. For a keeper who’s already picked a direction to jump, this means they can leverage an advantage by knowing the exact goal center and positioning themselves accordingly.

“The majority of goalkeepers stand just off center in the goal area”

Perhaps the most concrete development technique is honing skills of anticipation, to predict an opponent’s action through reading subtle body language cues. There has been much research done in this area, generally showing that this skill is a key facet differentiating elite soccer players from their lesser rivals. However not many techniques exist to specifically train this perceptual-cognitive ability. Consequently, in the Mindroom, we utilize a four-step process. First, we enhance the athlete’s processing speed utilizing 3D multiple-object tracking (NeuroTracker). Second, we overload the athlete with a dual-task scene form a game situation while simultaneously doing the multiple object tracking. Third, we utilize occlusion video technology and force the athlete to make quick decisions under time pressure. performance success in a simulated environment.

The Mindroom Human Performance Pillars necessary to unlock the potential of elite athletes.

Lastly, we overload the athlete with environmental noise and distractions and measure performance success in a simulated environment. Ultimately, with the time pressure involved, goaltenders for example – develop a sixth sense level of anticipation resulting in both reaction and movement time (i.e., milliseconds) ahead of the shooter – the only sure fire way of beating the odds.

…to be continued for shooters.

You can reach Dr. Pierre Beauchamp by visiting his website: http://www.mindroompsp.com/

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By Michael Clegg

Mick coached two of his four sons into Manchester United FC, and the other two to Olympic Lifting greatness. He coached strength and conditioning to the entire MUFC team for 11 years, including closely nurturing Cristiano Ronaldo from his sign-up all the way to FIFA player of the year. Since setting up his own training lab Mick has been coaching top footballers one on one, along with elite athletes in a range of sports, including World Taekwondo no.1 Aaron Cook. Many people are under the impression that the hardest goal to accomplish in the world of professional sports is to hit a Major League Baseball pitch. With the average major league ball barreling toward home plate at an average speed of 90 miles per hour, the hitter has a matter of mere seconds to assess the situation, anticipate the pitch, and rely on reaction. There is little time to think and the actions of the pitcher are often unpredictable, hitting an MLB pitch is certainly a challenge! On the other hand, can hitting an MLB pitch be compared to that of stopping an elite penalty kick, for instance in the soccer World Cup? Let’s take a look.

Penalty Kicks - Virtually Unstoppable

When looked at on a large scale it would appear that penalty kicks might be easier to accurately save than hitting an MLB fast ball, but under closer examination it becomes clear that, in fact, penalty kicks at the World Cup level are virtually unstoppable.

In a PK the kicker has quite a larger target to hit – 192 square feet of net, to be exact (that breaks down to 24 feet in width and 8 feet in height). That is larger than a full size cargo container and more than 50 times larger than that of the MLB strike zone. However, the science of saving a penalty kick boils down to the time, not so much the area.

In a game of professional soccer the average penalty kick goes flying towards the goal at a speed of 70 miles per hour. Given where the shot must be made from, that means that the ball can reach the net in less than .400 seconds. That is 10 percent faster than that of how long it takes a 90 mph fastball to reach home plate .44 seconds.

Since the time it takes to make a full extension block is on average .500 seconds, and the elite reaction time averages about .150 seconds – that makes a fast shot near the posts of the goal basically unstoppable if reacting after the kick. The science behind having the ability to actually stop a PK is more than skill. It is perception, reaction time, cognitive function and the ability to ‘predict’ which side of the goal the kick will be made to. And whether it’s prediction or more pure guess, well that can only be answered by getting in the mind of a goal keeper, either way, committing to the save before the point of the kick is critical in almost every penalty. Attempting to React After a Penalty Shot Is Taken Will Greatly Reduce Chances Of Stopping The Shot When it comes to penalty kicks, the odds are not in the goalies favor. In fact, from 1966 to 2014’s World Cup, keepers have only been able to save approximately 11 percent of penalty kick attempts – certainly strong proof of difficulty.

Coming up soon in Expert’s Corner, renowned sports psychologist Pierre Beauchamp will explain how the latest concepts in cognitive sports science can change those odds towards the goalkeepers favor or even more to the penalty taker.

Surgeons are well known for their mastery of physical skill. Laparoscopic or ‘key hole’ surgery is considered one of the most difficult and technical forms of surgery, requiring extremely fine motor coordination of equipment through an incision typically no larger than 1cm wide. It takes much training, but even then there are often large differences found between the skills of one surgeon and another, as such it’s been the focus of many studies seeking to understand how mastery can be trained.

A team of Canadian medical scientists recently put NeuroTracker to the test to investigate if cognitive ability could be a determinant in laparoscopic surgery skill. After being tested on NeuroTracker, they discovered that the baselines of medical students were a significant predictor of performance on surgery simulation tests. Higher scores correlated with medical students who were both faster and more efficient with their surgical manipulations. Against other factors of video gaming experience, time spent on computers, sleep patterns, age and sex - NeuroTracker was the only significant predictor of ability.

The findings point to a fundamental relationship between a task that does not require any motor skills (visual tracking) and physical skills (surgery performance). The idea that movement skill is influenced by cognitive capacities is of great interest, mainly because these are not traditionally trained, yet are highly trainable. The study suggested NeuroTracker has the potential to improve physical skills because it can improve interrelated cognitive abilities, and highlighted attention conditioning as “an important addition to surgical training”.
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Visual Tracking

Transfer

Surgery Performance

The broader aim of the experiment was to seek ways of enhancing surgeon development and performance. They cited choosing NeuroTracker based on its promising trends for the training of high level attentional skills essential for this advanced form of surgery, and because it trains those skills in a focused and time-efficient manner with objective measures. They concluded “NeuroTracker provides a cost-effective and easily administrable approach to enhance cognitive skills necessary for laparoscopic surgery”, and called for further studies to investigate if the benefits of NeuroTracker training can transfer directly to improvements in surgery skill.

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NeuroTracker's applications cover a wide-array of topics including rehabilitation, sports performance and active aging.

Researchers have recently discovered why it is that some individuals experience “inattention blindness” – the phenomenon that results in some drivers who are on their cell phones being more prone to accidents, and the same phenomenon that makes the gorilla of the famous video invisible to some viewers and not to others. The answer is that those people who fail to see certain things that are presented right in front of them, as a result of focusing on something else, have what is known as lower “working memory capacity.”

Working memory capacity refers to a specific measure of one’s ability to focus their attention when and where it needs to be focused; and more specifically, the lower the capacity, the more inability to focus on more than one thing at a time.

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The ‘Invisible’ Gorilla Plays Ball

Jason Watson, a University of Utah psychologist, has learned why it is that some people do not see the gorilla in the famous video cycling the web once again. The video itself shows a group of people passing a basketball back and forth while a man in a gorilla suit walks through their “game”. Unsuspecting viewers were asked how many times they counted the ball being passed back and forth. When asked about the gorilla passing across the screen, 40 percent failed to see the ‘invisible’ gorilla.

Watson and his team conducted research that expanded on earlier findings by Daniel Simons and Christopher Chabris – authors of the 2010 book ‘The Invisible Gorilla’ – where they found that a better working memory capacity explains how 58 percent of viewers saw the gorilla even though they were focusing on another task – counting the basketball passes.

The study uncovered truths about why people are different in how they focus their attention, which revealed why some are able to see something that they are not expecting and others not – for the purpose of this study, a gorilla walking across the screen. The overall findings of Watson’s study explain why some individuals are able to better focus their attention than others.

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Why Does Working Memory Capacity Matter?

So, what is the relevance of this study, you might be wondering. The best way to understand is to consider operating a motor vehicle under hazardous road conditions. When the conditions on the road are bad, many unexpected things can happen. For this reason, it makes sense that an individual who had better control over their attention would be more likely to notice such unexpected or unforeseen hazards, without having to be told to be on the lookout.

Watson explains it in this way: “The potential implications are that if we are all paying attention as we are driving, some individuals may have enough extra flexibility in their attention to notice distractions that could cause accidents. That doesn’t mean people ought to be self-distracting by talking on a cell phone while driving – even if they have better control over their attention. Our prior research has shown that very few individuals (only 2.5 percent) are capable of handling driving and talking on a cell phone without impairment.”

The purpose of the study was to explain why some people noticed the gorilla and others didn’t, or why some people are better at focusing their attention on what they are supposed to do than others – like in the instance of driving a car. Watson says, “People who notice the gorilla are better able to focus their attention. They have flexible focus in some sense.”

University of Utah. (2011, April 18). Missing the gorilla: People prone to ‘inattention blindness’ have a lower working memory capacity. ScienceDaily.

The word concussion refers to a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) that often occurs as a result of an impact to the head. Additionally, a concussion can also be the result of a whiplash type of injury or accident, where the brain and head are shaken quickly back and forth.

In most cases, concussions are not life-threatening. However, they can cause dangerous symptoms that will require medical treatment to remedy. For instance, a concussion can lead to an altered mental state where the concussed becomes unconscious. Signs Indicating a Possible Concussion Contrary to common belief, you do not have to lose consciousness or pass out to have suffered a concussion. Where some individuals will have obvious symptoms of a concussion, others will not. It is important to note that after experiencing a concussion, the brain is more susceptible to damage, and therefore, individuals who suspect that they might have had a concussion should take care to get plenty of rest and to avoid activities that might result in another injury while recovering. With the proper amount of rest, most people will make a full recovery from a concussion. Some individuals recover in a matter of hours, and some require days or even weeks to make a full recovery.

In the occasional rare case, a concussion can lead to more serious problems. Repeated concussions have been linked to long-lasting problems with learning, movement and even speaking. Since there is a minor chance that your concussion could lead to more serious problems, it is important to contact a physician right away if you suspect you have suffered a concussion.‍

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Signs within the brain

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• Issues with your memory
• Headache
• Dizziness

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Signs within your eyes

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• Blurred or double vision
• Over sensitivity to light and sounds.

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Signs with your actions

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• Slow reaction to stimuli
• Slurred speech
• Off-balance

Signs with your stomach

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• Nausea or vomiting

Signs with your alertness

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• Sluggish
• Drowsy
• Losing consciousness

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During the recovery period for a concussion, it is not uncommon for the injured to experience the following symptoms:

- Irritability
- Sensitivity to noise and/or light
- Headaches
- Difficulty concentrating

If you think that you might have experienced a concussion, it is important that you contact your doctor immediately. Anyone can injure themselves during a car accident, fall or other types of daily activities, but some are more likely than others to suffer from a concussion. Those individuals who participate in contact sports, such as football, lacrosse or boxing, have an increased risk of getting a concussion.

The Performance Loop

When basketball players are on the court, they are faced with multiple situations that require cognitive processing and decision making. This process is called the Performance Loop. What does the Performance Loop consist of?

• Vision: First, the eye captures raw visual information on the retina, which is transmitted to the visual processing center of the brain.

• Perception: The brain then processes the incoming raw data, separating the most important visual cues from distractors and unnecessary information.

• Cognition: Once the incoming information is prioritized, the brain can now evaluate the situation and consider potential options. In this decision-making process, the brain relies on short- and long-term memory as well previous experience to determine the best possible course of action.

• Execution: This step represents the player’s physical ability. Most practice time focuses on this part, with skill-based exercises. The result is usually sharpened skills, but decision-making may not have improved.

The Elite vs. The Good

When considering the very elite in the history of basketball, two players come to mind; Michael Jordan, and the recently-retired Kobe Bryant. Although their execution put them miles ahead of most, their unique ability to read the play and understand the situation made them the all-time best.

Visual Tracking Speed – A Predictor of Performance?

In an independent study, visual tracking speed was measured with NeuroTracker and correlated with basketball-specific performance (assists, turnovers, assist-to-turnover ratio, steals). Relationships were most likely present, based on a statistically significant result, between visual tracking speed and assists, steals, and assist-to-turnover ratio.

This study and its findings have immense potential for improving performance in basketball. The study indicates that it is possible for a program that improves visual tracking speed to have a positive impact on in-game performance. This is called far-transfer, which is performing a training program void of a sports context but able to transfer results to the field. In addition, the study might allow scouts to have an additional piece of information that can help them choose better players for specific positions, because the study showed that backcourt players were very likely to outperform frontcourt players at visual tracking speed.

PERCEPTUAL-COGNITIVE TRAINING – THE FUTURE OF SPORTS TRAINING?

Perceptual-cognitive training, like NeuroTracker, is used by elite organizations like Manchester United, the Atlanta Falcons, and the Montreal Impact. Studies have shown potential far-transfer relationships between NeuroTracker and soccer, in addition to basketball. Long gone are the days of exclusively training on-court. Becoming the next elite athlete is now an all-inclusive program that combines on-court training, off-court physical training, and, more recently, cognitive training. For years, there have been famous sports “busts”, players who showed great execution ability in lower leagues, but failed when they made it to the next level. Perceptual-cognitive training could give them a greater chance of succeeding.

Visual Tracking Speed Study

Discover the independent study that showed the relationship between visual tracking speed (NeuroTracker) and basketball-specific measures of performance in NBA players

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The competitive edge you need

With so many specialized training programs for hockey players, getting the competitive edge needed to be part of the elite is harder than ever. Those at the very top have since realized that in order to be the best, staying on top of cutting-edge advanced technologies and constantly refining and optimizing training techniques is crucial.

At AMPED Sports Lab and Ice Complex in Ottawa, the elite and world-renowned team of Andrew Creese, Director of Hockey Development and Andrew Mercer, Head of Goalie Development, recognize that the path to excellence is not as difficult as it seems, it's much more difficult!

Their training programs at AMPED incorporate three different yet equally important components: on-ice training, off-ice training and cognitive training.

Add NeuroTracker To Your Clinic"

Incorporating vision and cognitive training into your clinic can enable your athletes to unlock their maximum potential

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Learn More About AMPED

If you're in the Ottawa region, your path to the NHL is just a small drive away

Visit AMPED Sports Lab

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In accordance with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), somewhere between 1.6 and 3.8 million sports-related concussions occur in the United States annually. These sports-related concussions account for approximately 5-9 percent of all sports related injuries. Several conflicting studies have reported that the true incidence of athletic concussions is actually much higher due to the fact that many athletes fail to ever report concussions.

Both animal and human studies have shown post-concussive vulnerability if the normal brain cellular function has yet to be restored. This indicates that repeat brain injuries of this degree, before full recovery, will further aggravate cellular metabolic changes and result in additional cognitive deficits. Since experimental evidence suggests that the concussed brain is far less responsive to physiological neural activation, it is therefore likely that excessive physical or cognitive activity before a complete recovery might lead to protracted dysfunction.

Many studies that have previously been conducted indicate that 80 to 90 percent of athletes that have experienced a concussion show symptom recovery in approximately 7 days. However, symptom resolution is not always conclusive in indicating a complete cognitive recovery, as in some cases, persistent deficits are still detectable during neuropsychological testing.

[caption id="attachment_1917" align="alignleft" width="440"]

Source: Centre for Disease Control[/caption]

Because there is much disparity surrounding sensitivity of neurocognitive test batteries, researchers therefore question previous findings. And thus a study was conducted that followed the guidelines of oculomotor-based diagnostic clinical test protocols that were developed for the representation of the athletic population who have experienced mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBI). The study was led by Dmitri Poltavski and David Biberdorf, in which 42 Division I collegiate female and male hockey players were evaluated. This study targeted such oculomotor parameters as vergence, version, and accommodation. Thiagarajan et al. notes that the tests show the majority of clinical cases presented showed vergence system abnormalities following mTBI. The most common abnormality indicated was convergence insufficiency, which typically results in oculomotor symptoms related to reading.

During the study, ImPACT (Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing) was used to evaluate test patients. ImPACT is a computerized concussion evaluation system that is useful in aiding practitioners in making decisions about the athlete’s ability to return to the game following a concussion. In this study, the overall results on test patients revealed that higher ADHD symptomatology, greater near-point fixation disparity, and poorer reading comprehension are identifying factors in athletes with previous concussions. The five areas of testing focused on visual memory composite, verbal memory composite, reaction time composite, total symptom composite, and impulse control composite.

The study found that none of the ImPACT assessment measure scores were significantly predictive of the athletes’ concussion history. The researchers found no association between the athletes’ performance on the assessment and previous concussions. Though ImPACT continues to be an important instrument used in making athletic return-to-play decisions, it has little utility in screening for a history of past concussions, and risks associated with repeat concussions. However, several self-report and visual measures used in this study show high sensitivity and responsiveness within patients of previously sustained concussions.

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e findings suggest the importance of oculomotor measures in injured athletes, of which the institution of timely rehabilitative processes, including sports vision training and sports therapy may improve the injured athlete’s neuropsychological status, as well as overall sports-specific performance and even academic performance. The conclusive, and some non-conclusive, evidence in this study may inspire researchers to take steps in the direction of designing better screening protocols for athletes with previously sustained concussions.

(Source)

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When it comes to football, we can all agree that the quarterback is arguably the most important player in the game. This is reflected in everything from their protection on the field to their contract value. However, out of every position in football, there is not one that has quite the gap that the quarterback does in terms of what coaches are looking for and what they can find through the draft.

So, why do teams have such a difficult time finding what they want when drafting new quarterbacks? The main reason is that quarterback talent is so much more than physical performance, which is how QBs are evaluated in each league, starting with peewee football. What separates a good quarterback from a great one, is both physical talent and cerebral talent. The secret to real quarterback talent lies strategically placed between the quarterback’s ears – or rather, in their eyes. So much of what a quarterback does is about perception, processing and reaction. It is about sharp peripheral vision, making quick calls and fast reaction times. All of which are demanding mental skills that take effort to perfect.

If teams were somehow able to quantify a player’s ability to process information, then they would more effectively be able to select the best QB to add to their roster.

Perceptual-Cognitive Training

Guess what? There is. NeuroTracker is designed to improve all of these so-called cerebral skills that are often times overlooked when selecting a QB from the draft. NeuroTracker, in its very early stages over two decades ago in the Visual Psychophysics and Perception Laboratory at the University of Montreal, was created to help train seniors to deal with dangerous and often complicated situations such as crossing a busy street. The idea was to improve or enhance raw processing ability and speed.

The results, when tested on athletes, were that they had an inherent ability to process visual cues and to learn at a faster rate than others. Thus, based on the knowledge that athletes perform tasks that rely heavily on visual processing and reaction speeds, the program was able to demonstrate the possibility of improving athletes’ performance on the field. Since then, there have been multiple studies that have shown the transferability of NeuroTracker training to real-life situations, sometimes defined as far-transfer, in other sports. For example, a peer-reviewed study has demonstrated the transferability of NeuroTracker training to the soccer field by demonstrating an improved passing ability, as judged by soccer coaches that were unaware that a study was taking place.

Read the Soccer Transfer Study

If college football and NFL teams were to begin to see the value in neurological and perception training, as few already have, then they would thus see the draft in a new light. One which appreciates an athlete's processing abilities in addition to physical attributes. They would therefore be able to make a more informed decision in selecting great quarterbacks, ones that harbor cerebral and physical talent.

Selon Statistique Canada, 1 Canadien sur 4 affirme être très stressé au travail. Si le travail doit demeurer une partie essentielle de nos vies, comment peut-on augmenter nos performances? Une des méthodes qui peut être employée consiste à ajouter un entrainement cognitif dans la formation des employés. Une des disciplines de l’entrainement cognitif est le suivi de cibles en mouvement. Cette technique pourrait bien être la nouvelle révolution dans la formation du personnel qui permettra aux travailleurs de performer à de plus hauts niveaux.

L’entraînement au suivi de cibles en mouvement à l’écran pourrait aider les travailleurs à canaliser leur attention, leur vitesse de traitement de l’information visuelle, leur concentration et leur conscience dans la bonne direction afin d’obtenir des résultats optimaux dans leur travail et leurs projets. La constance dans la performance dépend du type de méthode utilisée pour influencer les niveaux d’endurance et de résistance durant une longue journée.

Comment l’entraînement au Multiple Object Tracking peut aider?

L’entraînement au suivi de cibles en mouvement ou Multiple Object Tracking (MOT) peut être dirigé afin d’augmenter les performances cognitives des employés en améliorant leur capacité d’attention dans un environnement compétitif. Dans une étude récente observant les effets de cet entrainement sur l’attention, la mémoire et la vitesse de traitement de l’information visuelle, vingt étudiants d’âge universitaire ont été divisés en deux groupes. Un qui s’entrainant et un groupe contrôle. Les fonctions cognitives ont été évaluées grâce à un test neuropsychologique. De plus, les fonctions associées du cerveau ont été mesurées lors d’électroencéphalographies. Les résultats ont démontré que 10 sessions d’entrainement peuvent accroitre l’attention, améliorer la vitesse de traitement de l’information visuelle et la mémoire, instantanément.

Les études ont démontré que le MOT peut avoir un impact significatif sur les performances cognitives. Les professionnels peuvent aspirer à améliorer leurs résultats spécialement quand ils prennent des décisions dans un environnement rapide et multitâches. Avec l’âge, rester au top de sa performance avec l’entrainement cognitif peut aussi assurer qu’on livre la marchandise malgré certains effets du vieillissement.

En plus, on a remarqué que le suivi de cibles en mouvement peut avoir des effets positifs sur la résistance mentale. C’est une découverte possiblement importante puisque dans plusieurs cas, la fatigue mentale peut avoir des effets très négatifs, voire dangereux, sur les performances. Par exemple, cela affecte entre autres les pilotes d’avion. C’est la raison pour laquelle la réglementation est très sévère concernant leurs heures de vol et de travail.

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If you've ever wondered what it's like to face a Cristiano Ronaldo penalty kick, wonder no more. During Real Madrid's game against Sevilla FC, Ronaldo took a penalty kick against Sevilla FC goalkeeper Sergio Rico. We would love to say that Sergio Rico had a camera on him and we think that should be the next ground-breaking idea in soccer - equip all goalkeepers with body cams. Unfortunately, it was a case of a spectator enjoying one of the best seats in the house by sitting right behind the net. Of course, to describe the seat as the best in the house is a relative term given what happens in the video.

Ronaldo would stand in his iconic wide-feet stance before confidently stepping into the shot. Alas, he would miss the net completely and instead shoot the ball directly towards our camera-holding spectator. The spectator would eventually have black eye after the ball hit her in the face, but on the bright side, she will have a memory that she will always cherish.

In typical Ronaldo - Messi rivalry, Messi followed up on Ronaldo by hitting a spectator himself, unfortunately, in the other case, the woman wasn't so lucky and suffered a painful injury (we don't recommend watching the other video)

(Source)

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The brain maps of individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have been proven to show different levels of connectivity between certain areas of the brain compared to those individuals who do not have ASD.

Autism spectrum disorder refers to a group of neurological dysfunctions that range from Asperger’s syndrome to hyperactivity. Researchers from the University of Malaysia Sarawak did a study where they compared the brain wave patterns of 10 typical individuals and 10 individuals with ASD, in an effort to pinpoint specific anomalies that might be associated with certain disorders.

The Study

During the study, the team used a quantitative electroencephalogram (qEEG), which is used in order to measure the electrical activity in the brain by way of 19 electrodes placed on the head and monitored during specific tasks. These electrodes allowed the researchers to actually monitor and see the brain waves, which move independently at different frequencies, ultimately creating a brain map that more or less showed varying activity throughout different regions of the brain.

The results of the scans showed researchers that those individuals who had some form of ASD, had fewer beta waves throughout the entire brain than did typical non-ASD patients. This is ultimately an indicator of under-connectivity throughout the brain system, where decreased beta waves generally are intensely associated with individuals who have attention disorders, brain injuries and even learning disabilities.

The brain maps that were created during the study for both groups of individuals further revealed that ASD patients had an excess of both fast and slow waves firing in the frontal lobe, which to some might suggest that there are faulty connections between the back and front regions of the patient’s brain.

Additionally, ASD individuals showed a reduced presence of alpha waves in the regions of the brain that are associated with gross motor movement and senses, which in itself could explain the difficulty that was had by these individuals to mimic instructed tasks.

Relevance

These results observed in the research study ran consistent with previous studies that used different brain imaging tools, such as functional magnetic resonance imaging, for example. The researchers of this study indicate that by observing the specific anomalies by way of qEEG, clinicians may be able to develop individualized neurofeedback training plans for their patients that have been diagnosed with some form of ASD.

The use of neurofeedback training would involve measuring the individual’s brain waves and from there producing specific auditory, as well as visual, signals to serve as feedback to the brain. All in an effort to teach it tasks that will help it to regulate its own functions. The researchers found through this study that neurofeedback training that was based on qEEG-guided protocol was highly more effective than neurofeedback and training that was based on symptoms.

Learn more about qEEG and read research that shows changes which occured after cognitive training by clicking HERE.

(Source)

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Zinedine Zidane was one of the greatest players of his generation, and very possibly of all-time. He has an impressive list of accomplishments including the World Cup, the European Championship, the Champions League and more. During his distinguished career, many moments stood out in the history of the beautiful game. He almost single handedly carried the French national team to defeat Brazil during the 1998 World Cup Final; scoring two crucial goals during the first half. Two years later, he helped lead the French national team again to a win over Italy in the 2000 European Championship final. Yet again, two years later, he would score one of the most memorable goals the world has ever seen.

The Context

There is no doubt that entering into the 2002 Champions League Final, Real Madrid F.C., led by Zidane and many other future legends, were considered the clear favourite over Bayer Leverkusen and their star player Michael Ballack.

The match would start exactly as expected with Real Madrid taking a 1-0 lead via a Raul goal. However, and to the surprise of many, Leverkusen would come back with the tying goal only five minutes later. There's a general feeling of surprise as no one expected Leverkusen to be able to withstand the onslaught of Real Madrid's attack. But not only has Leverkusen withstood it, but they started controlling some aspects of the game and millions of fans around the world collectively held their breath. The stakes couldn't get higher.

History in the Making

Roberto Carlos, known for being one of the most explosive players in the world with the ability to start runs on the wing that would leave his opponents trailing in his tracks, calmly carries the ball towards the Leverkusen half. He passes the ball to his teammate Santiago Solari and immediately turns on his engines. "The Bullet Man" as he was known sprints down the left side of the pitch and his marker has almost zero chance to catch him. Solari lobs the ball forward well into the last third of the pitch. For most players, the pass might have been somewhat far, for Roberto Carlos however, the ball was well within reach. He curves the ball towards the edge of the penalty box.

Game. Set. Match.

"I don't know if we are the best team in the world. I am lucky to be playing alongside some of the best players around. It's a dream." - Zinedine Zidane, describing Real Madrid.

For Zinedine Zidane, it will always be a mystery to know what he was thinking at that moment. He is after all a right-footed player. The ball was going to land to his left and he wouldn't have enough time to readjust. Nevertheless, great players are the ones who take nothing and turn it into something. Zidane turns towards the goal and launches an unstoppable rocket into the upper left corner of the goal. Leverkusen's goalkeeper is victimized by one of the best goals the world has ever seen.

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There are many cognitive factors that come into play when evaluating things that could potentially affect an individual's cognitive performance. Cognitive factors are those characteristics of a person that affect the way they learn and perform. Such factors serve in a way which modulated performance and are therefore susceptible to improvement, as well as decline. Examples of these cognitive functions are things like memory, attention, and reasoning.

Cognitive Performance Factors

Here are 3 things that affect your performance:

Task Difficulty

You might have easily guessed this one, but your cognitive performance relies on the difficulty of the task. Does the task include problem-solving for example? That will make the task more difficult.

Neglecting Practice

The brain is a muscle that must be exercised and used in order to achieve its maximum level of performance capability. Therefore, a brain that has neglectfully been deprived of practice will under-perform in many scenarios

Cognitive Load

When it becomes necessary for an individual to divide their cognition between tasks (for example, memory and attention) it becomes more difficult for them to focus on the main task at hand and such a divide ultimately can decrease performance capability

It's the ultimate heroic moment. A few years ago, we all saw the video in which Tampa Bay Rays third baseman and all-star Evan Longoria does what amounts to saving someone's life when he barehands a fly ball heading directly towards ESPN's Kenny Mayne from one of his Rays teammates during batting practice. We were all impressed by Evan's extremely quick reaction time and his confident ability to catch the ball bare handed. Not to mention of course the impressive level of awareness he has. We were all amazed and the video went viral.

Watch the famous video:

Alas, all this was not real. In a genius move by Gillette's marketing team, right after filming a commercial with Evan Longoria that took them a few hours to finish, they asked Evan to shoot a very quick 1-2 minute video that will be filmed only using a handheld camera and the stadium's lights without any extra preparations.

What are some of the things that gave it away?

For one thing, Gillette's logo is plastered all over the background elements of the video. This video was filmed at McKechnie Field in Florida and at no point did it ever have so many Gillette signs all over.

Another giveaway comes from knowing the game of baseball. The safety cage usually at BPs that also allows players not to have to run all over the field collecting missed balls is no where to be seen. At the very least there should be a catcher and there's no one. Even more importantly, there is no safety net to protect the pitcher, something MLB teams would never do during BPs.

Who knew at the time that years later this low production video would be seen by millions more than the real commercial?

(Source)

The findings of a recent research study found that the parasympathetic nervous system restrains breathing and slows the heart rate of sleeping children that suffer from epilepsy substantially more than that of what is modulated in healthy children. Findings of this nature could have major implications in diagnosing and treating epilepsy, as well as in understanding sudden unexpected death in epilepsy.

Until now, epilepsy has been characterized by doctors as a brain disorder. However, thanks to this study, researchers at Case Western Reserve University have found evidence that part of the autonomic nervous system functions in a different manner during the absence of a seizure. A connection of this sort, to the involuntary division of the nervous system, could have implications for treating and diagnosing the disease. Not only that but also in understanding sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP).

Roberto Fernandez Galan, the assistant professor of electrical engineering and computer science and senior author of the study, stated “All of the findings of our study on heart rate variability in epilepsy point to increased activity in the parasympathetic nervous system during sleep.” He goes on to say, “But, we do not know if this abnormality compensates for epilepsy, coincides with the disease or is part of the etiology.” Specifically, he refers to the parasympathetic (or “rest and digest”) nervous system that modulates the breathing and slows the heart rate of children with epilepsy while they sleep significantly more than that of what takes place in healthy children.

To the researchers’ surprise, during the study, it was revealed that several children who had previously been diagnosed as neurologically normal – but that showed similar strong modulation as well as lower heart rates – were to be later diagnosed with epilepsy. This discovery offers suggestive evidence that changes in the parasympathetic tone precede the onset of epilepsy diagnosis in children.

The Study

In the study, the researchers examined the electrocardiograms of 91 adolescents and children who had been diagnosed with generalized epilepsy and 25 neurologically normal children. The subjects were observed during 30 minutes of stage 2, also referred to as light sleep. During the intervals care was taken to ensure that no patients were suffering from a seizure during the intervals.

During the study, the researchers found that an increase in the heart rate during inhalation and decrease during exhalation – or respiratory sinus arrhythmia –was more pronounced in the epilepsy patients, whose heart rate was significantly lower.

The changes proved to be consistent with the increased firing of the vagus nerve in children who had been diagnosed with epilepsy, as compared to those children who had not been diagnosed with epilepsy. The vagus nerve serves as the primary trunk of the parasympathetic nervous system. The more rapidly that the vagus nerve fires, the more it slows the heart, which is especially true during exhalation.

What Does It Mean?

Galan claims that by further defining the differences in the respiratory arrhythmia between children who suffer from epilepsy and those who do not, they may have the ability to identify biomarkers, or thresholds, to diagnose those who have the disease or even those at increased risk for developing it. Furthermore, the researchers say that the findings also present the possibility that medications can help to control the autonomic nervous system which in turn may help to control epilepsy.

Research from this study is published in the online Journal of Neurophysiology.

(Source)

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According to Statistics Canada, 1 in 4 Canadian workers report being highly stressed at work. If work is going to be an essential part of our lives, how can we increase our performance so that our output is higher? One method that can be followed is to add a cognitive training element in employee training. One discipline of cognitive training is multiple object tracking. Multiple object tracking might be the new revolution in employee training that would enable workers to perform at a higher level.

Multiple object tracking could actually assist workers to channel their mental focus, visual information processing speed, concentration and awareness in the right direction to obtain good results at their work and projects. The consistency of your performance depends on the types of methods used to leverage your stamina and endurance levels during a long working day.

How Can Multiple Object Tracking Help?

Multiple object tracking training can be geared towards boosting cognitive performance of employees by improving their attention span in a competitive environment. In a recent study examining the effects of MOT (multiple object tracking) training on attention, working memory, and visual information processing speed, twenty university-aged students were divided into a training (NT) and nonactive control (CON) group. Cognitive functions were tested using neuropsychological tests. Additionally, associated brain functions were measured through quantitative electroencephalography (qEEG). Results showed that 10 sessions of MOT training can boost attention, sharpen visual information speed, and working memory.

Studies have shown that multiple object tracking can provide a significant impact on cognitive performance. Professional people can aspire to improve their results especially when making crucial decisions in a fast-paced environment while multitasking. As you get older, staying on top of your game with cognitive training can also ensure that your output remains high even if you are facing some natural healthy aging effects.

In addition, some evidence has been shown that multiple object tracking can have a positive effect on mental fatigue resistance. This can be a significant discovery as there are many instances in which mental fatigue can have very and sometimes dangerous negative results on performance. A prime example of such events happen with pilots, which is why there are currently strict regulations on flying and working hours for pilots. You can see a list of the many studies that relate mental fatigue to pilot error by clicking HERE.

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The best athletes stand above the rest – and usually not due to their stature. Yes, physical size and fitness are important contributing factors to athletic success, but there is much more to gaining competitive advantage.

Genetics, diet, exercise, and practice each play a role in determining the success of an athlete. However, separating contenders from pretenders starts from the inside – inside the brain.

Unlocking Your Elite Athlete

Here are 5 ways to differentiate yourself by unlocking elite-level performance:

1- Be Present – It is critical that when attending practice or even gym sessions, you do more than just 'show up'. Instead, be present. Stay engaged with what you are doing and what is being done around you. Pay close attention to your movements and how you are performing. Sounds easy but requires mindfulness and practice.

2- Think for yourself – Though many coaches would likely disagree, it is important that you ‘think’ about what you are doing on the field, court, or wherever it is that you are performing. Contrary to common belief, there is more to elite athleticism than the coach thinking and you doing what they say. Think for yourself and do what you think.

3- Train your brain – There is much benefit to be had from acquiring that extra mental edge. While physical exercise conditions the body, cognitive training rewires the mind. Integrating mental training into your weekly repertoire is vital. Using psychological tactics like visualization and sports vision training are key factors in building and maintaining mental fitness. Improve your edge with these techniques and watch as your body follows suit. This is a particularly attractive area in which to build your advantage, since all your competitors are already working the body, but many are not pursuing targeted cognitive training.

4- Feed your mind & body – A well-balanced diet does more than just feed the body, it feeds the mind, which in turn improves performance capabilities.

5- Exercise – Exercising not only conditions the body by improving stamina and strengthening muscles, it also helps to feed the brain. Exercising fuels the brain by pumping it full of blood and oxygen, necessary to function at optimal capacity.

Once upon a time it was enough to work out at the gym, eat right, and show up to practice. Today, however, in order to build your competitive edge as an elite athlete, the brain cannot be neglected. Feed it, train it – it could be your winning ticket to the big leagues.

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Depuis 10 ans, nous sommes devenus de plus en plus à l’affut des commotions cérébrales. De meilleurs diagnostics et une compréhension approfondie de cette blessure ont provoqué ce qui ressemble à une augmentation des commotions dans les sports. En fait, les commotions ont toujours fait partie du sport, c’est juste qu’aujourd’hui on en comprend les effets à long terme.

Alors que le football retient la majorité de l’attention dans les médias, ce n’est pourtant pas le sport qui pose le plus de risques de commotion. On a étudié les chiffres et trouvé les 5 pires sports liés aux commotions. Mais savoir que vous êtes à risque, c’est seulement la moitié du travail. Vous devez aussi comprendre comment éviter les commotions cérébrales et comment les déceler si elles surviennent. Les données suivantes sont le ratio pour chaque 100 000 expositions d’athlètes de niveau scolaire.

1- Football américain

Le football, c’est le sport cliché des commotions. Près de la moitié des commotions rapportées dans le sport de niveau secondaire proviennent du football. Il a aussi le plus haut taux de commotions, avec 70,4. Le contact casque à casque est considéré la cause la plus grande au football, bien que n’importe quel plaquage vigoureux est suffisant pour causer une commotion.

2- Hockey sur glace masculin

Autre sport de contact, le hockey est le 2e sport avec le plus haut taux de commotions, avec un taux de 54. Que ce soit en se faisant cogner lors d’un lancer du poignet ou carrément lors d’une bagarre, le hockey expose à de nombreux coups à la tête. Il y a des règlements afin de protéger les joueurs, tels que ceux concernant les bandes ou l’utilisation des coudes pour frapper. Un grand risque de commotion demeure pour les athlètes qui pratiquent ce sport.

3- Lacrosse masculine

Avec un taux surprenant de 43,3, lacrosse arrive en 3e place de notre liste des sports qui risquent de vous causer une commotion. Lacrosse attire rarement autant l’attention que les autres sports puisqu’il a le plus petit pourcentage de commotions liées aux sports au pays. Mais c’est uniquement parce que moins de personnes y jouent, contrairement au football. Les chiffres prouvent que lacrosse a un problème aussi grand et sérieux que les autres sports.

4- Soccer féminin

Avec un taux de commotions de 33, ce qui est vraiment plus élevé que le soccer masculin, le soccer féminin est un exemple qui démontre que les femmes sont plus vulnérables que les hommes aux commotions. En fait, seuls les joueurs de lacrosse masculins ont plus de risques que les joueuses. Entre les attaques de côté, les coups de tête et les jeux brusques, le soccer est plus risqué que les gens ne le croient. Ajoutez a cela l’absence de protection à la tête et vous obtenez un sport où les commotions prévalent.

5- Lacrosse féminin

A égalité avec le soccer féminin avec un taux de 33, le lacrosse féminin n’est pas un sport qui reçoit beaucoup d’attention liée aux commotions. Cependant, les dangers sont bien réels et les ligues commencent à créer des règlements supplémentaires tant pour les hommes que pour les femmes.

Mentions honorables

Les sports précédents sont loin d’êtres les seuls qui posent de gros problèmes de commotions. Tous les sports ont leurs dangers. Parmi ceux qui ont aussi des risques, on retrouve le hockey sur gazon féminin (23,5), la lutte masculine (23), le basketball féminin (19,8) et le soccer masculin (19,1).

Comment éviter les commotions cérébrales liées au sport

Il y a des façons de minimiser les risques de commotion sportive, mais il n’y a pas de garanties de les prévenir complètement. Les commotions ont toujours été un risque pendant les parties et le seront encore pour le futur immédiat. Cependant, en suivant les règles du sport qu’on pratique et en portant l’équipement protecteur adéquat, on contribue a garder le risque le plus bas possible.

L’éducation est un élément clé pour minimiser les commotions. La plupart se soignent d’elles-mêmes en une semaine ou deux. Mais presque 1 sur 10 nécessiteront plus de temps pour se résorber. Les athlètes qui souffrent de commotions et qui retournent au jeu sont grandement irresponsables, puisque la probabilité d’avoir une 2e commotion pendant cette période est très élevée. De plus, une deuxième commotion pendant la période de convalescence peut avoir des répercussions très graves.

Comment NeuroTracker pourrait aider

Plusieurs commotions sportives ne sont pas décelées, spécialement dans les sports tels que la boxe, les MMA ou encore les sports non réglementés comme la planche à neige ou le ski. Un diagnostic adéquat et dévoiler qu’on a subi commotion sont les meilleures façons de s’occuper du problème. NeuroTracker est une technique scientifique pour mesurer la performance cognitive. La cognition est l’élément clé qui est ciblé négativement lors d’une commotion. Améliorer la connaissance fondamentale et la perception biologique du mouvement fait partie des autres bienfaits de NeuroTracker dans le monde de la performance sportive. En établissant le niveau de base d’un athlète quand il va bien permet de déterminer si un athlète performe a son niveau cognitif optimal à long terme. Quand ce n’est pas le cas, on peut alors parfois déceler une blessure au cerveau. Dans de tels cas, le niveau de base normal de l’athlète sert alors de référence afin de déterminer si celui-ci est apte à retourner au jeu après sa convalescence.

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C’est officiel, les scientifiques ont testé et confirmé en première mondiale, la toute première interface de machine intégrée crée afin de contrôler le corps grâce à la pensée.

Cette interface connectée au cerveau requiert un stent (un type d’électrode) qui est logé à l’intérieur, enregistrant les activités cérébrales qui ont déjà été déterminées dans des études cliniques comme étant celles qui font bouger les membres grâce a un exosquelette. Le système en tant que tel, de la grosseur d’un trombone à papier, doit être implanté dans le premier humain lors d’un test à l’hôpital Royal Melbourne en 2017. Les participants ont été sélectionnés à l’Austin health Victorian Spinal Cord Unit.

Pourquoi c’est important

Les enregistrements dans ce nouvel appareil prouvent qu’il est désormais possible d’enregistrer des signaux de grande qualité qui sont émis par le cortex moteur du cerveau humain. Et ce, sans chirurgie au cerveau. Qu’est-ce que cela signifie pour les personnes paralysées? Le Dr Thomas Oxley, auteur principal et neurologue à l’hôpital Royal Melbourne et chercheur au Florey Institute of Neurosciences and Mental Health ainsi que l’Université de Melbourne, clament que ce nouvel appareil, baptisé Stentrode, est révolutionnaire.

Le développement du Stentrode a requis la participation des leaders de la recherche médicale de l’hôpital Royal Melbourne, pour un total de 39 scientifiques dans 16 départements! Ce système est important, car c’est le premier appareil peu invasif à être implanté dans un vaisseau sanguin dans le cerveau lors d’une simple opération d’un jour. Cela évite le risque très élevé lié à une opération cervicale.

Ce que les docteurs en disent

Le Dr Oxley explique : « Notre vision, à travers cet appareil, est de rendre aux patients avec une paralysie complète leurs fonctions et leur mobilité en enregistrant l’activité du cerveau et en convertissant les signaux en commandes électriques. Ces signaux électriques sont ensuite transformés en mouvements des membres grâce à des systèmes externes tels des exosquelettes. En gros, c’est une moelle épinière bionique. »

Le professeur Terry O’Brian, chef des départements de médecine et de neurologie, l’hôpital Royal Melbourne ainsi que l’Université de Melbourne ont des commentaires positifs a partager concernant ce nouveau développement. « Pouvoir créer cet appareil qui peut enregistrer les signaux du cerveau humain sur une longue période, sans abimer le cerveau, est un avancement fantastique de la médecine moderne » souligne Terry O’Brian. Il rajoute que « cela pourrait être potentiellement utilisé chez des gens qui ont une grande variété de maladies autres que la paralysie, telles que les blessures à la moelle épinière, l’épilepsie, le Parkinson et d’autres problèmes neurologiques. »

Une personne sur 50 sera touchée par une crise cardiaque ou une blessure à la moelle épinière, les principales causes de handicaps. Une percée de cette magnitude a le potentiel de changer les vies de tellement de gens à travers le monde. Cette révélation pourrait tout changer, puisque ce tout petit appareil pourrait donner la chance aux personnes paralysées de marcher sur leurs deux jambes à nouveau. C’est vraiment remarquable.

Sources:

University of Melbourne. (8 février 2016). “New device to get people with paralysis back on their feet: Scientists have tested the world’s first minimally-invasive brain-machine interface, designed to control an exoskeleton with the power of thought.” ScienceDaily (site web). Récupéré le 9 février 2016 de www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/02/160208124241.htm

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