The Neural Mechanisms of Optimal Human Performance

Author(s):

Helene M. Sisti

Abstract:

Training for optimal human performance is an essential component of military operations. Military personnel undergo extensive training in a broad range of cognitive skills. The manner in which skills are practiced can impact how well they are executed at a later time point. A critical factor that may influence later execution is the practice schedule. In this study, two different practice schedules are compared to determine the effect on memory and the neural dynamics that drive it. The purpose is to determine how to train military personnel for optimal human performance. The model that is used is a hand–eye coordination task. Participants must rotate two dials using their left and right hands to track a moving target on a screen. Brainwaves are captured in real-time before and after practice. The task models complex bimanual coordination and the visuomotor and cognitive load that underlies it. Participants demonstrated successful memory retrieval 1 week after training. Analysis of neural dynamics revealed that the post-movement beta-rebound was evident in the sensorimotor cortex both before and after practice.