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We're always looking for a shortcut to hard work. Maybe this is the one.
Researchers at Laurentian University have conducted a study in which they subjected individuals' brains to EMF, enhancing flow---a mental state---while playing Snake, a PC game. Their discovery could pave the way toward wearables capable of assisting with focus, learning, and concentration through EMF patterns.
The team's study expands upon theories claiming that neural synchronization between attentional networks and the brain's reward systems may be responsible for flow. Initial research demonstrates EMFs affect neural activity. With that in mind, the team wanted to determine if EMFs replicating the brain's neural activity can improve the flow state while playing a game.
Participants wore a sensor cap that monitored their brain activity via electroencephalography (EEG). While playing a 10-minute gaming session, their heads were subject to an EMF mimicking the neural activity in the amygdala, which processes emotions and helps the brain achieve a flow state. To match the amygdala's spontaneous neural activity, the EMF had a frequency between 6-20 Hz. The team used the Flow Short Scale to measure their flow state and recorded game performance, like scores and error count.
During EMF exposure, several areas of the brain, such as the left cuneus, left precuneus, left posterior cingulated, insula, and parahippocampal gyrus, decreased in beta wave activity. Beta activity is linked to active thinking and focus, which suggests a relaxed, absorbed state that matches flow. Additionally, the team discovered the participants' concentration improved---especially in those with no gameplay experience.
Those who have played a game before expect to perform better than new players since they're more familiar with the game's mechanics and strategies. But that wasn't the case in this EMF trial. Interestingly, the study revealed that participants with prior Snake gameplay experience didn't perform better than those without the experience. This is noteworthy as it indicates EMF may allow newcomers to play similarly to experienced players.
It's worth noting that this area of study is still in its early stages, and researchers say that EMF influence doesn't improve cognitive abilities or intelligence. Further research could be conducted to gain more insight into how those effects occur. This study could pave the way toward developing technologies designed to assist with the flow state.
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