Decoder: New brain training application launched to improve concentration skills and attention ability

Find that you can not focus on any task for more than 10 minutes? With all those e-mails that click in your inbox or WhatsApp messages flashing on your phone, it's no surprise that we find it more difficult to focus than ever with all these digital distractions.

It is an affliction that concerns us all. According to a survey conducted by YouGov last year, 75% of British workers check their phones when they are at work. We can not even use our phone at home with 55% of respondents saying that they can not have dinner without checking their phones.

Although we can blame smartphones for our lack of attention, devices could also be the key to reversing this trend. A team from the Behavioral and Clinical Neuroscience Institute at the University of Cambridge has created a new application called Decoder, in partnership with game developer Tom Piercy, who wants to help users improve their focus and concentration.

The team behind Decoder has evaluated the science behind the application. According to Professor Barbara Sahakian of the Cambridge Department of Psychiatry and her colleague Dr. George Savulich, playing Decoder on an iPad for eight hours a month improves attention and concentration.

During one study, 75 adults were divided into three groups: one group played Decoder, one control group played bingo and the second group received no part. The first two groups were invited to attend eight one-hour sessions over a month during which they played Decoder or Bingo under supervision.

At the beginning and at the end of the trial, participants were tested using the CANTAB rapid visual information processing test, which is often used as a test of attention and concentration extremely sensitive.

The results showed that adults who played Decoder showed an improvement in attention compared to those who played Bingo and the group that did not play any games.

In fact, attention has grown so much that it is comparable to the effects of stimulants such as Ritalin, used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Professor Sahakian said, "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. "

The Decoder game has been licensed to Peak's application developer specializing in evidence-based brain training applications. Decoder is available for download today on the Apple App Store, as part of the Peak Brain Training app. An Android version should be available later this year.

The game has undergone some modifications as part of its integration into the Peak Brain Training app. Professor Sahakian commented, "Peak's version of Decoder is even more complex than our original test game, so it will allow players to continue to gain even more performance over time." By licensing our game, we hopefully it will be able to touch a wide can benefit by improving their attention. "

Download Peak Brain Training on iOS now