In the Air Force, pilots face the difficult task of identifying targets in radar images and deploying unmanned drones to those targets. The pilots endure hours of training in order to be able to identify these targets in the complex images. In those training sessions, researchers have found that the pilots’ ability to accurately identify targets declines within twenty minutes. To reduce training time and combat the decline in accuracy, the Air Force has turned to transcranial direct current stimulation (TDCS).

Andy McKinley and his fellow researchers at the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio have found that not only does thirty minutes of transcranial direct current stimulation cut the pilots’ training time in half, but it also assists in the endurance of their accuracy.  Similar to transcranial magnetic stimulation in which subjects receive magnetic pulses into target areas of the brain, TDCS involves mild electrical currents of two milliamperes. By administering these mild currents, pilots’ accuracy times went from a steady twenty-minute decline to an increased accuracy for forty minutes. Because TDCS increased their accuracy, the pilots’ training sessions were ultimately reduced. (Fields, 2011)

Since transcranial direct current stimulation had such a positive effect on pilots, imagine the wonders it could do for others. For instance, if TDCS became available for college students, they would feel more comfortable when faced with quizzes and exams. They would be able to learn quickly and more sufficiently. Additionally, there may be extended benefits that improve their alertness, moods, and memory.

If transcranial direct current stimulation can help accelerate pilots’ ability to learn, what else can it do? The possibilities are endless. Fortunately, studies are still being conducted on the effects of TDCS on the body and brain. Though it is an invasive, inexpensive procedure, it still has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

Fields, R. Douglas. (25 November 2011). Amping up brain function: Transcranial stimulation shows promise in speeding up learning. Retrieved on 15 April 2018 from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/amping-up-brain-function/

The older we get, the more likely we are to forget details. Our decline in cognition leads to a decline in our motivation to experience new things and get out of our comfort zone. How can we prevent this decline in cognition? Professor Josef Bischofberger, PhD, of the University of Basel’s Department of Biomedicine in Switzerland has found that physical exercise can promote adult neurogenesis – the growth of new brain cells during adulthood. (IOS Press, 2015)

Bischofberger and other researchers used mice in the study because they are naturally inquisitive of objects in their environment. After creating objects that were relatively similar in size and appearance, the researchers placed these items in the cages of the mice to assess how well the mice recall the items’ properties. For the control group, mice were placed in cages without exercise equipment. For the experimental group, mice were placed in cages with running wheels. The same items were placed within the cages of both groups. After 1.5 hours of becoming familiar with the items, one of the items was replaced by a similar item. After a 24-hour period, that item was then replaced with either a similar item (same color, different shape) or a completely different item (different color and shape). (IOS Press, 2015)

After the initial 1.5-hour period, both groups of mice – control and experimental – were able to differentiate similar items from different items. After the 24-hour period, though, the experimental group of mice was better able to distinguish similar items from each other than the control group of mice. Researchers found that the mice with exercise equipment in their cages developed a better pattern separation than the mice without exercise equipment. After investigating the brains of the mice, researchers found that the active mice had developed twice the amount of new brain cells with longer dendrites than the sedentary mice. (IOS Press, 2015)

From the study of the mice, we learn that exercise can aid in the development of new brain cells. To prevent neurodegeneration in the brain, running and other types of physical exercise can be considered adequate, healthy alternatives to chemical (drug) supplements.

References:

IOS Press. (25 November 2015). Can physical exercise enhance long-term memory? New study in mice reports that new brain cell formation is enhanced by running. ScienceDaily. Retrieved on 2 March 2018 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/11/151125104750.htm

We’ve all heard that watching too much television or playing too many video games can be detrimental to our vision, but what effect can it have on our cognitive development? There are people of all ages and both genders that enjoy staying up until the wee hours of the morning playing Call of Duty, Halo, Tetris, the Sims and other video games. Is there a difference in the cognitive levels among the different gamers? Do video games even have an effect on cognitive development?

To determine the effect video games have on cognitive development, an intervention study was conducted over a twelve week period. The participants were selected based on the amount of video games they played on average per week. The male and female participants, aged 6 to 40, that played video games for less than one hour per week were selected for this study. The participants were given initial cognitive tests, including spatial attention, multitasking abilities, and rapid decision-making skills. Following the tests, researchers randomly assigned the participants into two groups. One group played video games in the action genre, such as Call of Duty, while the other group played games in the strategy genre, such as Tetris. The researchers then asked the participants to play their groups’ video games for 8-50 hours per week over that twelve week period. After the twelve week period was over, the participants’ cognitive abilities were tested once again. The results were amazing. The group of people playing action-based video games had a more significant increase in their cognitive skills than the group playing strategy-based video games. (Université de Genève, 2017)

So what does that mean for the non-gaming population? Should we start staying up until four or five in the morning playing video games to increase or enhance our cognitive development? Not exactly. The best methods to improve our cognitive level include being physically active, experiencing new things, challenging ourselves, and making sure we receive an adequate amount of sleep every night. (Bergland, 2014)

Bergland, Christopher. (2014, March 12). Eight habits that improve cognitive function. Retrieved January 28, 2018 from https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-athletes-way/201403/eight-habits-improve-cognitive-function

Université de Genève. (2017, December 12). Action games expand the brain’s cognitive abilities, study suggests. ScienceDaily. Retrieved January 28, 2018 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/12/171212102158.htm