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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.

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 compare the learning efficiency 3D-MOT (NeuroTracker) with 2D-MOT, and investigate whether any advantages can be reflected by heart rate variability (HRV).

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26 female U15 soccer players completed the 2D- and 3D-MOT tasks with the order reversed for half of the participants. HRV measures were recorded live during the training.

The female soccer players displayed higher learning efficiency in the 3D-MOT task than in the 2D-MOT. HRV analysis revealed that the training had some stimulation associated with inducing flow states in 2D, but that this effect was significantly greater with 3D-MOT. The researchers concluded that this study highlights the role of flow experience in the utility and applicability of 3D-MOT in soccer sport.

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To examine whether individuals who play video games at a professional level in the esports industry differ from amateur video game players in their cognitive and learning abilities.

14 elite professional gamers and 16 casual video game players were assessed on a battery of standard neuropsychological tests evaluating processing speed, attention, memory, executive functions, and manual dexterity. In addition, both groups completed 15 distributed NeuroTracker sessions to assess dynamic visual attention and learning abilities.

Professional players showed the largest performance advantage relative to amateur players for visual spatial memory (Spatial Span), and with more modest benefits for selective and sustained attention (d2 Test of Attention), and auditory working memory (Digit Span). Professional players also had greatly higher initial speed thresholds on NeuroTracker, with the advantage increasing marginally over the 15 sessions. Overall, the cognitive assessments differentiated the professional and amateur groups, however there was negligible correlation with these results in terms of gaming experience in either group. In conclusion, standardized cognitive assessments revealed some elevated abilities of pro gamers, however NeuroTracker baselines and learning rates provided much more sensitive comparative measures.

To investigate how multiple object tracking abilities (NeuroTracker) may enhance strategies for maintaining spatial awareness and optimal player performance in soccer. Additionally, to examine the relationship between aerobic capacity and multiple object tracking capacity.

7 competitive female soccer players completed a 90-minute intermittent soccer performance test (iSPT) on a Curve™ non-motorized treadmill (cNMT) with monitoring of VO2max. This involved six individualized running, jogging or walking speeds, and a half-time period, to simulate demands in soccer competition. NeuroTracker baselines were completed three times during each half of the iSPT.

The fatigue associated with 90 minutes of soccer specific running negatively influenced running performance during the second half. However, increased aerobic capacity appears to be associated with an attenuation of cognitive decline during 90-minutes of soccer specific running. Results of this study indicate the importance of aerobic capacity on maintaining spatial awareness during a match.

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

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

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

To investigate the ‘selfish brain hypothesis’, which suggests the brain prioritizes its own glucose needs over those of the peripheral organs such as skeletal muscle, using individual and dual-task assessments with NeuroTracker and exercise on a cycle ergometer.

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32 participants were randomly assigned to a no priority, cognitive priority (focus on NeuroTracker task), or physical priority (focus on physical task) group. NeuroTracker and a cycle ergometer were used to measure cognition and physical performance, respectively. Participants completed 5 assessments: 2 cognitive, 1 predicted VO2 max, and 1 dual task. During the dual task participants completed 3 NeuroTracker sessions, while cycling on a cycle ergometer. The cycle ergometer was modified to remove demands on balance, isolating aerobic demands.

Results revealed that the physical priority group had significantly higher cycle ergometer performance compared to the cognitive priority group. However, overall physical performance remained relatively stable throughout the physical and dual task assessments. All groups experienced improvements in their visual tracking speed scores as they progressed through the study. No evidence was found to support the selfish brain hypothesis during dual task performance, in contrast results may indicate an arousal effect from physical exercise, heightening NeuroTracker performance compared to single task performance.

To investigate if working memory in Canadian Armed Forces can be improved with unsupervised remote NeuroTracker training as a practical performance enhancement tool.

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66 Canadian Armed Forces soldiers were randomly assigned to NeuroTracker training (30 sessions over two weeks), Dual n-back training, or a passive control group. Verbal and matrix WM span were assessed before and after training, along with the Multi-Attribute Task Battery: MATB-II multi-tasking assessment.

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Both active groups improved on the training tasks with 10-50% improvement in post-training working memory measures. No significant transfer was found for the MATB-II multi-tasking assessment.