Strobe Eyewear Training Boosts Short-Term Visual Memory
Cognitive scientists specializing in visual perception and cognition tested Duke students and athletes with the NIKE SPARQ stroboscopic training eyewear and found measurable improvements in visual memory retention 24 hours later. (Duke University Photography)
Performing physical activities wearing glasses that produce strobe-like vision can improve visual memory for at least 24 hours, according to a new U.S. study from Duke University.
Participating students and athletes performed physical activities like playing catch either wearing eyewear with uninterrupted vision, or eyewear with a strobe-like effect, flickering between a clear view and darkness.
Before and after training, participants sat computer-based visual memory tests, viewing eight letters briefly presented on a computer screen. They then had to recall one of the letters after varying delays. Those with strobe eyewear improved in some aspects of visual memory, such as detecting subtle movements, and recognizing briefly presented visual cues.
“Humans have a memory buffer in their brain that keeps information alive for a certain short-lived period,” said study co-author Greg Appelbaum in a press release. “Wearing the strobe eyewear during the physical training seemed to boost the ability to retain information in this buffer.”
The researchers think the improvements may be due to participants adjusting their visual processing to the stroboscopic eyewear so they could perform physical tasks normally.
When strobe eyewear participants sat the memory test 24 hours after the training, the improvements in visual memory were still present.
“Our earlier work on stroboscope training showed that it can improve perceptual abilities, but we don’t know exactly how,” said study co-author Stephen Mitroff in the release.
“This project takes a big step by showing that these improved perceptual abilities are driven, at least in part, by improvements in visual memory.”
The study was supported by Nike SPARQ Sensory Performance, which designed the eyewear, and was published online in Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics on July 19.
Watch this short video from Duke University to see how the glasses work:
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2012-07-30 09:25:04
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