According to a study, a brain training application improves the concentration of users

A new game of "brain training" designed by researchers at the University of Cambridge improves the concentration of users, according to new research published today. The scientists behind this company believe that this could be a welcome antidote to the daily distractions we face in an occupied world.

Adam Gazzaley and Larry D. Rosen point out that, with the emergence of new technologies requiring quick responses to e-mails and texts and the simultaneous realization of several projects, young people, including students, have more difficulty in maintaining their attention and often become distracted. This difficulty in focusing attention and focusing is aggravated by the stress of a global environment that never sleeps, and by frequent commuting leading to jet lag and poor sleep.

"We all came home from work thinking we were busy all day, but we did not know what we really did," says Professor Barbara Sahakian of the Department of Psychiatry. "Most of us spend our time answering e-mails, watching SMS, browsing social media, trying to do several things at once. But instead of doing a lot of work, we sometimes struggle to complete a task and reach our goal of the day. Then we go home and even there, we have trouble to "turn off" and read a book or watch TV without taking our smartphone. For complex tasks, we need to get into the process and stay focused. "

In recent years, with smartphones becoming ubiquitous, the number of so-called "brain training" applications claiming to improve cognitive skills such as memory, numerical skills and concentration.

At present, a team from the Institute of Behavioral Neuroscience and Clinical Neuroscience at the University of Cambridge has developed and tested "Decoder," a new game designed to help users improve their attention and focus . The game is based on the team's own research and has been scientifically evaluated.

In a study published today in the journal Borders in behavioral neuroscience Professor Sahakian and his colleague, Dr. George Savulich, have demonstrated that playing Decoder on an iPad for eight hours a month improves attention and concentration. This form of attention activates a frontal-parietal network in the brain.

In their study, the researchers divided 75 healthy young adults into three groups: one group received Decoder, one control group played bingo at the same time and a second control group did not play. Participants in the first two groups were invited to attend eight one-hour sessions each during a month in which they played Decoder or Bingo under supervision.

The 75 participants were all tested at the beginning of the trial and then at the end of four weeks with the CANTAB Visual Information Rapid Treatment (PVR) test. CANTAB RVP has been shown in previously published studies to be an extremely sensitive attention / concentration test.

During the test, participants are asked to detect digit sequences (eg 2-4-6, 3-5-7, 4-6-8). A white box appears in the middle of the screen, in which the numbers 2 through 9 appear in a pseudo-random order, at a speed of 100 digits per minute. Participants are invited to press a button each time they detect a sequence. The duration of the test is approximately five minutes.

The results of the study showed a significant difference in attention as measured by PVR. Those who played Decoder were better than those who played bingo and those who did not play. The difference in performance was significant and significant because it was comparable to the effects observed with stimulants such as methylphenidate or nicotine. The first, also known as Ritalin, is a common treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

To make sure Decoder improved focused attention and focus without compromising the ability to change focus, the researchers also tested participants' abilities in the tracing test. The decoder performance has also been improved compared to this neuropsychological test commonly used for change of attention. In this test, participants should first be concerned about the numbers, then focus on the letters and then back to the numbers. In addition, the participants enjoyed the game and the motivation remained strong throughout the 8 hours of play.

Professor Sahakian commented, "Many people tell me that they have trouble focusing their attention." Decoder should help them improve their ability to do that. "In addition to healthy people, we hope that the game will be beneficial for patients with attention deficit, including those with ADHD or traumatic brain injury.We plan to start a study with patients with traumatic brain injury this year. "

Dr. Savulich added, "Many brain training applications on the market do not rely on rigorous scientific evidence.Our evidence-based game is developed interactively and the game developer, Tom. Piercy, ensures that it's engaging and fun to play in. The level of difficulty is tailored to each player and participants enjoy the challenge of cognitive training. "

The game is now licensed by Cambridge Enterprise, the technology transfer arm of the University of Cambridge, to Peak's application developer specializing in evidence-based brain training applications. This will allow Decoder to become publicly available. Peak has developed a version for Apple devices and is launching it today as part of the Peak Brain Training app. Peak Brain Training is available for free on the App Store and Decoder will be available to both free and professional users as part of their daily workout. The company plans to make a version available for Android devices later this year.

"The Decoder version of Peak is even more complex than our original test game, so it will allow players to continue to gain even greater performance benefits over time," said Professor Sahakian. "By licensing our game, we hope it will reach a wide audience who can benefit by improving their attention."

Peak CEO Xavier Louis adds, "At Peak, we believe in an evidence-based approach to brain training, and this is our second collaboration with Professor Sahakian, whose work over the years has shown that Games can bring significant benefits to the brain, and they are happy to bring Decoder into the Peak community to help people overcome their attention problems. "

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The research was funded by the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) and the INDH Biomedical Research Center in Cambridge.

Reference

George Savulich, Emily Thorp, Thomas Piercy, Katie A. Peterson, John D. Pickard, Barbara J. Sahakian. Attention improvements following a cognitive training with the new game "Decoder" on iPad. Borders in behavioral neuroscience; January 21, 2019; DOI: 10.3389 / fnbeh.2019.00002

Declaration of interest

Barbara Sahakian consults for Cambridge Cognition and Peak.