Introdução: A crescente longevidade, realidade cada vez mais comum nas diversas sociedades convergem para as questões relativas à saúde, a qualidade de vida e bem-estar da população de idosos. Destaca-se ainda que a saúde desempenha um papel central no envelhecimento, podendo prever-se a qualidade de vida dos indivíduos idosos por esta variável. Apesar da condição de idoso não representar um risco enquanto tal é possível prever que um indivíduo mais velho sofrerá necessariamente perdas, uma vez que o envelhecimento pode se dar tanto por um processo natural (senescência) ou patológico (senilidade). OBJETIVO: verificar o impacto do treino de memória associado ao Neurotracker (NT) em idosos saudáveis. MÉTODO: amostra foi composta por 44 idosos a partir de 60 anos sem queixas cognitivas, foram randomizados em dois grupos: grupo experimental (GE=22) e o grupo controle (GC=22). Todos completaram 12 sessões de uma hora cada, duas vezes por semana, sendo que o GE realizou a mais 12 treinos com o NT. Para o treinamento da memória, foram utilizados estímulos computadorizados específicos associados a estratégias mnemônicas conscientemente aprendidas. Nos momentos pré e pós treino, amos os grupos foram avaliados através de questionário sócio-demográfico, avaliações neuropsicológicas, e escalas de autopercepção, além de uma medida com o NT. RESULTADOS: primeiramente, vale ressaltar a homogeneidade dos grupos em termos sociodemograficos, e em relação aos testes avaliados. Os resultados evidenciaram que ambos os grupos se beneficiaram com o treinamento de memória, contudo o GE obteve um resultado melhor em relação ao tempo de reação, velocidade de processamento visual, memória de trabalho e a percepção subjetiva da memória, validando a hipótese inicial levantada. O GE mostrou maior pontuação que o GC em testes consistentes com as estratégias treinadas, envolvendo recursos atencionais, memória de trabalho, episódica, semântica e subjetiva, pensamento associativo, velocidade de processamento e cognição social. Ambos os grupos reportaram sentimentos mais positivos quanto à própria memória e avaliaram positivamente as intervenções refletindo significativamente na qualidade de vida. Ademais, não foram observadas mudanças em sintomas de depressão. Em termos de duração, intensidade e frequência do treino, nota-se a necessidade de mais estudos com essa faixa da população. CONCLUSÃO: Os benefícios do TM associados ou não ao NT são evidentes e aparecem no resultado dos testes neuropsicológicos e das escalas. Além disto, após o TM, houve aumento no uso de estratégias associativas, maior confiança na própria memória e ganhos de qualidade de vida. Os dados corroboram os achados sugerindo que o cérebro de idosos permanece altamente plástico / INTRODUCTION: The increasing longevity, an increasingly common reality in different societies, converges to the issues related to health, quality of life and well-being of the elderly population. It is also worth noting that health plays a central role in aging, and the quality of life of elderly individuals can be predicted by this variable. Although the condition of the elderly does not pose a risk as such, it is possible to predict that an older individual will necessarily suffer losses, since aging may be due either to a natural (senescence) or pathological (senility) process. OBJECTIVE: to verify the impact of memory training associated with Neurotracker (NT) in healthy elderly. METHOD: The sample consisted of 44 elderly individuals aged 60 years old without cognitive complaints. They were randomized into two groups: experimental group (GE = 22) and control group (CG = 22). All completed 12 sessions of one hour each, twice a week, and the GE performed another 12 training sessions with the NT. For memory training, specific computer stimuli associated with consciously learned mnemonic strategies were used. In the pre- and post-training moments, the groups were evaluated through a socio-demographic questionnaire, neuropsychological assessments, and self-perception scales, as well as a measure with NT. RESULTS: First, it is worth mentioning the homogeneity of the groups in sociodemographic terms, and in relation to the tests evaluated. The results showed that both groups benefited from memory training, however the GE obtained a better result in relation to reaction time, visual processing speed, working memory and subjective memory perception, validating the initial hypothesis raised. The GE showed higher scores than the CG in tests consistent with the trained strategies, involving attention resources, work memory, episodic, semantic and subjective, associative thinking, processing speed and social cognition. Both groups reported more positive feelings about their own memory and positively assessed interventions that significantly reflected quality of life. In addition, no changes in symptoms of depression were observed. In terms of duration, intensity and frequency of training, it is noted the need for further studies with this range of the population. CONCLUSION: The benefits of TM associated or not to NT are evident and appear in the results of neuropsychological tests and scales. In addition, after TM, there was an increase in the use of associative strategies, greater confidence in the own memory and gains in quality of life. The data corroborate the findings suggesting that the brain of the elderly remains highly plastic

Introdução: A crescente longevidade, realidade cada vez mais comum nas diversas sociedades convergem para as questões relativas à saúde, a qualidade de vida e bem-estar da população de idosos. Destaca-se ainda que a saúde desempenha um papel central no envelhecimento, podendo prever-se a qualidade de vida dos indivíduos idosos por esta variável. Apesar da condição de idoso não representar um risco enquanto tal é possível prever que um indivíduo mais velho sofrerá necessariamente perdas, uma vez que o envelhecimento pode se dar tanto por um processo natural (senescência) ou patológico (senilidade). OBJETIVO: verificar o impacto do treino de memória associado ao Neurotracker (NT) em idosos saudáveis. MÉTODO: amostra foi composta por 44 idosos a partir de 60 anos sem queixas cognitivas, foram randomizados em dois grupos: grupo experimental (GE=22) e o grupo controle (GC=22). Todos completaram 12 sessões de uma hora cada, duas vezes por semana, sendo que o GE realizou a mais 12 treinos com o NT. Para o treinamento da memória, foram utilizados estímulos computadorizados específicos associados a estratégias mnemônicas conscientemente aprendidas. Nos momentos pré e pós treino, amos os grupos foram avaliados através de questionário sócio-demográfico, avaliações neuropsicológicas, e escalas de autopercepção, além de uma medida com o NT. RESULTADOS: primeiramente, vale ressaltar a homogeneidade dos grupos em termos sociodemograficos, e em relação aos testes avaliados. Os resultados evidenciaram que ambos os grupos se beneficiaram com o treinamento de memória, contudo o GE obteve um resultado melhor em relação ao tempo de reação, velocidade de processamento visual, memória de trabalho e a percepção subjetiva da memória, validando a hipótese inicial levantada. O GE mostrou maior pontuação que o GC em testes consistentes com as estratégias treinadas, envolvendo recursos atencionais, memória de trabalho, episódica, semântica e subjetiva, pensamento associativo, velocidade de processamento e cognição social. Ambos os grupos reportaram sentimentos mais positivos quanto à própria memória e avaliaram positivamente as intervenções refletindo significativamente na qualidade de vida. Ademais, não foram observadas mudanças em sintomas de depressão. Em termos de duração, intensidade e frequência do treino, nota-se a necessidade de mais estudos com essa faixa da população. CONCLUSÃO: Os benefícios do TM associados ou não ao NT são evidentes e aparecem no resultado dos testes neuropsicológicos e das escalas. Além disto, após o TM, houve aumento no uso de estratégias associativas, maior confiança na própria memória e ganhos de qualidade de vida. Os dados corroboram os achados sugerindo que o cérebro de idosos permanece altamente plástico / INTRODUCTION: The increasing longevity, an increasingly common reality in different societies, converges to the issues related to health, quality of life and well-being of the elderly population. It is also worth noting that health plays a central role in aging, and the quality of life of elderly individuals can be predicted by this variable. Although the condition of the elderly does not pose a risk as such, it is possible to predict that an older individual will necessarily suffer losses, since aging may be due either to a natural (senescence) or pathological (senility) process. OBJECTIVE: to verify the impact of memory training associated with Neurotracker (NT) in healthy elderly. METHOD: The sample consisted of 44 elderly individuals aged 60 years old without cognitive complaints. They were randomized into two groups: experimental group (GE = 22) and control group (CG = 22). All completed 12 sessions of one hour each, twice a week, and the GE performed another 12 training sessions with the NT. For memory training, specific computer stimuli associated with consciously learned mnemonic strategies were used. In the pre- and post-training moments, the groups were evaluated through a socio-demographic questionnaire, neuropsychological assessments, and self-perception scales, as well as a measure with NT. RESULTS: First, it is worth mentioning the homogeneity of the groups in sociodemographic terms, and in relation to the tests evaluated. The results showed that both groups benefited from memory training, however the GE obtained a better result in relation to reaction time, visual processing speed, working memory and subjective memory perception, validating the initial hypothesis raised. The GE showed higher scores than the CG in tests consistent with the trained strategies, involving attention resources, work memory, episodic, semantic and subjective, associative thinking, processing speed and social cognition. Both groups reported more positive feelings about their own memory and positively assessed interventions that significantly reflected quality of life. In addition, no changes in symptoms of depression were observed. In terms of duration, intensity and frequency of training, it is noted the need for further studies with this range of the population. CONCLUSION: The benefits of TM associated or not to NT are evident and appear in the results of neuropsychological tests and scales. In addition, after TM, there was an increase in the use of associative strategies, greater confidence in the own memory and gains in quality of life. The data corroborate the findings suggesting that the brain of the elderly remains highly plastic

The thesis deals with the evaluation and training of cognitive-visual functions of elite athletes using the NeuroTracker computer program. The theoretical part pursues collecting of recent studies and literature, concerning predominantly visual perception and its connection with cognitive abilities and movement. It focuses mainly on sportsmen and evaluation of their visual functions. Furthemore it introduces the concept of neurovisual training and its possible application in other clinical fields. Methodology: The NeuroTracker program evaluates reaction abilities, visual memory, spatial imagination and other components of cognitive and visual functions. The output of this evaluation is a numerical value before and after training and calculated percentage improvement. This change was measured in a group of 64 athletes of various sports. The thesis also includes case reports of two athletes who underwent a general optometric examination, which was complemented by further visual training. Results: We have showed statistically that after a series of trainings on the NeuroTracker, there is an overall improvement of the measured parameters. Moreover we have shown that the number of performed trainings moderately correlates with the resulting improvement. Each sport correlates in a different way however....

The NeuroTracker (NT), a computerized three-dimensional multiple object tracking (3D-MOT) training device, has potential benefits for concussion assessment and management, as well as maintenance of cognitive function. Accessing 3D technology is a limiting factor for 3D-MOT, so we assessed the performance of MOT training in 2D and 3D environments in both healthy and concussed individuals (8-91 years of age). The participants (n=86) who completed all ten training sessions over the three-month period, were assigned to one of three different studies: (1) an environment comparison (2D versus 3D), (2) an age comparison (youth, young adult, and older adult), or (3) a concussed population comparison (non-concussed, recently concussed, and prolonged concussed). In all studies, performance increased with training, indicating all individuals could increase perceptual cognitive function in all environments. Significant differences were apparent when 2D and 3D environments were compared, with participants in the 3D environment out performing participants in the 2D environment. Furthermore, switching from the 3D to the 2D environment was detrimental to learning performance. When comparing learning performance between different aged individuals, a linear regression demonstrated learning performance increased at a lesser rate with age(p<0.05). Concussed populations also demonstrated correlative trends when comparing learning performance, as well as initial NT scores. The longer an individual was suffering from concussion symptoms, the lower the initial NT score was, but the higher the rate of learning performance was through out training. Further investigation into attention, memory, and visual processing speeds in each population may help to better resolve the relationship between these domains and clarify if NT can serve as a means for concussion assessment and rehabilitation for individuals at any age in the future. / Graduate