Mind360 Blog

Reaction time

Reaction time has always been important in daily life. Today it is more than a trendy expression. Science is identifying the specific ways in which brain training can contribute to acceleration of reaction speed, which can help us with daily functioning activities such as driving.

Improve performance

Whatever our cognitive needs and whatever cognitive stage we are in, research reveals that processing speed enables us to perform the daily activities that our lives demand of us more effectively. And the higher the level at which an individual functions, the more success and fulfillment that individual experiences, no matter what age.

Lasting results for all

New research has confirmed that cognitive training of processing speed has a visible positive impact on daily activities of older adults, with reaction speed one of the key benefits. Further, the positive results of training cognitive speed were observed to have at least a two year impact and proved adaptable to all ages and education levels.

The daily grind

Think about all the challenges that come your way during the day, from your workplace to your home to your driving environment: imagine how much more fulfilling these tasks would be if you performed them at maximum efficiency.

Increase happiness

Science has verified that older adults can benefit as much as the general adult population from having their brains trained. Better results give all of us an increased sense of gratification from our individual tasks. And the satisfaction a job well done brings can make us all a whole lot happier.

Too Much Information

According to research, driving in many respects poses the biggest everyday challenge to cognition. Driving skills and responsive reflex require more cognitive load than virtually any other activity—even flying a plane.

Cognitive Overload

Cognitively speaking, the response required of the brain while driving overland is overwhelming: the driver must respond to instant estimates of speed and distance, as well as what is taking place in front of and around the vehicle, internally as well as externally.

The Speed of Man

The driver is also often pressed into deciding which way to go while speeding by signs amid multiple sensory inputs of sight and sound, forcing the brain to react at a speed that science says it simply has not evolved for. The brain is made to react at best to the speed at which a human being runs, not the speed of a car.

The Mechanics

Among the multiple cognitive abilities required for driving, research lists attention, perceptuomotor skills, memory, and decision-making. These partially segregated neural systems are required to interact seamlessly in the virtual blink of an eye in automobile operation.

The Solution

Driver testing programs and simulators are highly popular items right now for groups with vested interests in improving driving skills, such as insurance companies and brain injury transition centers.

Product Optimization

Tests are being conducted with the first test samples being elderly drivers to determine the most effective form and characteristics of driving simulators. The goal of program design is to predict and develop necessary individual cognitive skills on a user-by-user basis. Schools, computer software, and on-line tests will make simulation programs available on a widescale basis in the very near future.

Added Benefits

In addition to getting safely from Point A to Point B, sharpening cognition skills for driving can potentially lower fuel costs: specific driving behavior impacts fuel economy, such as removing one’s foot from the gas to stop instead of driving fast and slamming on the breaks.

Tired of trying to remember where you left your keys? Tired of running behind schedule because you couldn’t find your wallet? Well, the time has come to react fast again, to shake your brain up and use it the way you’re used to. The time has come to play games that will exercise your brain the fun way.

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