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from the we-told-our-mommas-gaming-would-help-us dept.
A researcher at University of California San Francisco has created an adaptive game with inputs from EEGs and fMRIs to enhance cognition in study participants:
The first step is to identify the target—the different facets of our cognitive capabilities and the underlying neural systems that drive them. These include attention, working memory and goal management. Gazzaley and his team measure these functions using fMRI and EEG. "We can gather biomarkers so we can see if we're having the impact we're looking for."
The second step focuses on taking advantage of the neuroplasticity of the brain to try and modify its functions. The chosen tool for achieving this is video games—"they are an immersive engaging interactive way of changing behaviour. Something happens in the brain when playing. The video game records in real time and adapts itself as well as giving feedback," explains Gazzaley. That goes back to your brain and creates the desired closed loop.
Finally, the team focuses on enhancing the effects by using high-resolution neural feedback to modify the game going forward. The team is using the Unity gaming engine to collate the data garnered from this.
One game the team has already created, Neuroracer, has already shown that 12 hours of gaming a week among 60- to 80-year-olds dramatically improves their ability to multitask, beyond the abilities of a 20-year-old playing the game for the first time. They are now carrying out a three-year study, to see how the game can be used as a diagnostics tool.
Gamification has been trying to devise ways to mimic the immersive quality of gaming in more training- and productive settings. Is biofeedback the missing link?
(Score: 2) by ikanreed on Monday April 27 2015, @07:36PM
I'm wary about reports of this sort, that make broad inferences about X or Y being good for your brain because it increases neural response to certain classes of stimuli. Cognition is nothing if not complicated, and training your brain to do one thing well isn't necessarily an "improvement" if it inhibits other healthy mental behavior.
Multi-tasking, in particular is one of those skills I'm not sure is without cost. Singular methodical focus is necessary a lot of day-to-day tasks, and the vast majority of these studies make little-to-no effort to measure the extent of changes on multiple distinct mental performance metrics.
That said, I also am not claiming special knowledge of specific harm. Just that I think studies of this kind need to catalog more dependent variables.
(Score: 4, Funny) by frojack on Monday April 27 2015, @07:44PM
I tend to respond in single words when gaming, such as huh, what, no, yes, and dammitwomanyougotmekilled.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 2) by Freeman on Monday April 27 2015, @08:14PM
I would mod you +1 Insightful, but I'm out of mod points. Games tend to take alot of my concentration. Though, those terms are usually left for the games I can't pause. Usually, because they are online games.
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: -1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 27 2015, @09:10PM
check da privilege
think of single men in nepal
(Score: 2, Funny) by Darth Turbogeek on Tuesday April 28 2015, @01:34AM
You mean you don't come up with flowery words about how you will romance your opponent's mother?
(Score: 2) by rts008 on Monday April 27 2015, @08:20PM
I share your doubts.
This looks like yet another 'one hammer for all nails' approach. That would work great if all nails were the same, but that is not the case.
As for multitasking, well it does not work for everything, and it does have an inescapable downside: each task takes a little longer to complete, but the batch of tasks are completed sooner overall.
This works great for a lot of things, but not every one. Not everything benefits from multitasking. example:Would you want your heart transplant surgeon multitasking in the surgery room with say, two other surgeries at the same time? Not me!
I say if you want to learn better multitasking, get a job as a short-order cook in a busy eatery. You will learn to multitask, or be out of a job in short order!
I don't doubt that this may bring about benefical therapies and treatments for some, but it would be a mistake to use it for every disorder/problem.
The key is recognising when/if the treatment does more harm than the 'disease'.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Monday April 27 2015, @08:50PM
These games don't develop your cognition, but may enhance the brain functions that support cognition. Like gym session for a, say, football player.
I guess it's up to you to choose a mean over a goal (i.e. take gym sessions only and hope you'll be inducted in the Football Hall of Fame), but don't tell me gym session are not useful
Extra info (maybe some of us need it) on NYTimes [nytimes.com]:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 28 2015, @04:01AM
but don't tell me gym session are not useful
Any benefits they may have are lost on the sorts of people who choose to participate in those activities in the first place (i.e. mostly morons). Furthermore, there are better, more fun ways of training your brain. Learning mathematics, logic, doing logic puzzles, programming, etc.
Rote memorization 'geniuses' love their working-memory challenges, though.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Tuesday April 28 2015, @05:03AM
Why do you think I provided the context by quoting from the NYTimes article?
Did you find any "rote memorization" references there?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 28 2015, @06:11PM
Working-memory challenges are basically made for rote memorization 'geniuses'. I would much rather focus on critical thinking skills than memory, as they seem to be something most are lacking.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Tuesday April 28 2015, @08:01PM
Working memory [wikipedia.org] is short term memory - your CPU cache. You won't be a good thinker (critical or not) if your cache is small.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by VLM on Monday April 27 2015, @09:06PM
Could it just be a summarization issue? The SN story lists "attention, working memory and goal management" even if admittedly the second half is solely about measured gains in multitasking.
Like the "going to the gym" analogy and then exclusively focusing on measured bench press gains as a specific example although the participants also did cardio bunny stuff and synchronized swimming and whatnot.