Introduction
fits, anxiety, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
PCT
Achieving the best sports performance requires not only strength, endurance, and sport-specific training but also the improvement of perceptual and decision-making skills. Implementing these types of exercises into the training regime could help athletes to process the most important information at the right time to make accurate decisions during the competitions. Indeed, a previous meta-analysisNeurocognitive assessment tools have been proposed to optimize, maintain, and improve perceptual-cognitive performance. NeuroTracker (NT) (promoted and sold by Faubert Applied Research Centre, University of Montréal, and CogniSens Athletics Inc.) is one of the most popular perceptual-cognitive training (PCT) tools both in sports and rehabilitation. A previous systematic reviewNeurofeedback (NF) is a technique that utilizes real-time displays of brain activity, most commonly measured via electroencephalography (EEG), to promote self-regulation of brain function. This closed-loop method helps individuals to control or modify their cortical activity through learned self-regulation, with the aim of improving alertness, reducing anxiety and enhancing cognitive abilities such as attention, memory, and behavior. There is a growing body of literature that supports the effectiveness of NF, particularly in the field of cognitive functions and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)The majority of NF studies use regular EEG caps for data acquisition but the number of papers featuring portable headsets is increasing. The most frequently used devices are the Emotiv EPOCIn the present parallel randomized single-blinded pilot study, we investigated the efficacy of a novel NF system, called neuroMoon (nM) on cognitive abilities by examining the differences between the improvements after nM vs. NT training. We hypothesized that the level of cognitive improvements after nM vs. NT training will not differ. To address this hypothesis, participants performed the Digit Span Backwards (DSB) cognitive test and a comprehensive battery of cognitive tests from the Vienna Test System (VTS) before and after a 12-session computer-based cognitive training program using nM or NT device. Our study fits under the current efforts about developing techniques that could support achieving and maintaining better mental performance under challenging conditions in intricate environments.