Brains, Games and memory? - Innovative Cognitive Training System to improve working memory.

I created this project to find a solution for students, like me, who sometimes struggle with focus, learning, and stress. I noticed that when students feel stressed, their cognitive skills like memory, attention, and problem-solving, do not work as well. This made me wonder if I could design something that could both improve cognitive skills and help regulate stress at the same time.

My goal was to create a science-based system that is both effective and engaging. I developed a hands-on device along with simple cognitive training games that use techniques such as breathing exercises, multi-sensory interaction, and problem-solving tasks. These are based on research showing that calming the brain and actively engaging it can improve focus and thinking skills.

I wanted this project to be useful for a wide range of people, from young children to adults and seniors, because cognitive skills are important at all ages. My focus, however, was especially on students in learning environments.

This project may not solve a global problem, but it aims to address a real and common challenge that many people face every day. By helping people improve focus and manage stress, my system could support better learning, decision-making, and overall well-being.

To develop my solution, I first did background research on how the brain works. I learned how it processes information, how memory works, and how stress affects these processes. I found that stress can slow down cognitive functions like focus, memory, and decision-making. I used medical and educational websites as my main sources and also looked at forums where people shared their struggles with focus and stress to understand real-life problems. Based on this research, I decided my solution needed to be interactive, science-based, and effective. I chose to use technology because it is easy to use in everyday life and can give immediate feedback. I built my system using components such as sensors, LEDs, a buzzer, LCD screens, and microcontrollers like Arduino and Raspberry Pi.

I went through a few phases to design it. My first prototype, called ZenCube, was used by students and adults and received positive feedback. However, it did not provide feedback to help users improve. So, I developed a second prototype called Cognigen (Cognitive Training System). This version of this model includes a feedback system that uses data such as accuracy, focus score, high score, and heart rate (estimated BPM) to give simple responses to the user. I tested my prototypes with a small group of participants and observed their performance and reactions. I kept the testing conditions similar for all participants to make the results more consistent. I'll use this data to improve my project in the future.

The results of my project showed that my system can help improve focus and support better cognitive performance over time. I tested my prototype with nine participants. At the beginning, many of them were able to react quickly, but they struggled with focusing and made more mistakes. Some also felt slightly stressed or pressured during the tasks.

After using the system, especially the breathing feature and repeated gameplay, participants showed improvement in focus and accuracy, and they made fewer errors. By the end of the testing, most participants appeared more engaged, calm, and positive while completing the tasks. The prototype works by combining cognitive training games, breathing exercises, and multi-sensory interaction. It collects data like accuracy, high score, focus score, and heart rate, and uses this information to give feedback to the user. This feedback helps users understand their performance and encourages improvement. Studies show that stress can reduce cognitive function by affecting how the brain processes information. Breathing exercises help regulate the nervous system and improve blood flow to the brain, which can increase focus and calmness. In addition, interactive tasks and multi-sensory stimulation can improve attention, memory, and learning by actively engaging different parts of the brain.

I used graphs such as line and bar graphs to show changes in performance over time.

Overall, the results suggest that while improvement may be small at first, consistent use of this system can lead to long-term benefits in focus, learning, and cognitive performance.

From my results, I can conclude that improving cognitive skills is not just about practicing harder tasks, but also about managing stress. At the beginning, many participants were able to respond quickly but struggled with focus and accuracy. After using the system, especially the breathing feature and repeated interaction, their focus improved, and they became calmer and more consistent in their performance.

This shows that stress plays an important role in how well the brain functions. When the brain is calm, it can process information more clearly, leading to better focus, decision-making, and learning. I also learned that using different methods such as cognitive training, breathing exercises, and interactive feedback can be more effective than using just one method.

Another important fact is that small improvements over time can lead to long-term benefits. Even though the changes were not extreme in a short period, the overall data showed progress with consistent use.

These findings are important because many students struggle with focus and stress, but this problem isn't talked about often or noticed. My project shows that it's possible to create a simple, interactive system that supports both mental health and well-being.

To extend my project, I plan to use user feedback to improve the design and make it more accessible for everyone. I would upgrade the components to make the system easier to use in real-life situations. I also want to expand my testing from a short 20-minute session to a week, to better understand long-term effects. This would help me see if this truly improves focus, or if it becomes distracting over time. I am interested in continuing this project to see how it can help my community and create a positive impact on learning.

Many people supported me throughout my project, and I am very grateful for their help. My parents and sibling played an important role by helping me get the materials I needed and giving me suggestions to improve my design from their perspective. My teachers were also very supportive and believed in my idea, which motivated me to keep improving my project further.

My friends also helped me test my prototype and share their feedback and suggestions. This helped me understand how users interact with my system and how I could make it better. Their support and encouragement made a big difference and helped me complete my project successfully.

My Resources: These are the websites I used to find information, collect data, photos, and articles for my project.

Cleveland Clinic. (n.d.). Memory. Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/memory

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Cleveland Clinic. (n.d.). Cranial nerves. Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/21998-cranial-nerves

Cleveland Clinic. (n.d.). Meninges. Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/22266-meninges

Cleveland Clinic. (n.d.). Central nervous system (CNS). Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/central-nervous-system-cns

Cleveland Clinic. (n.d.). Grey matter. Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/24831-grey-matter

Harvard Health Publishing. (n.d.). Protect your brain from stress. https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/protect-your-brain-from-stress

Psychology Today. (n.d.). Sensory memory. https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/basics/subpage/sensory-memory

Verywell Mind. (n.d.). What is memory? https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-memory-2795006

Queensland Brain Institute. (n.d.). Memory. https://qbi.uq.edu.au/brain-basics/memory

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Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials. (n.d.). Are video games good for you? https://health.clevelandclinic.org/are-video-games-good-for-you

Verywell Mind. (n.d.). Working memory. https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-memory-2795006

Happy Neuron Pro. (n.d.). Definition of cognitive skills. https://www.happyneuronpro.com/en/info/definition-of-cognitive-skills/

The Mind Company. (n.d.). Working memory vs short-term memory. https://themindcompany.com/blog/working-memory-vs-short-term-memory

NCBI. (n.d.). Working memory and cognition. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2864034/

Seeed Studio. (2019). What is a touch sensor and how to use it. https://www.seeedstudio.com/blog/2019/12/31/what-is-touch-sensor-and-how-to-use-it-with-arduino/

SparkFun. (n.d.). How to use a breadboard. https://learn.sparkfun.com/tutorials/how-to-use-a-breadboard/all

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NeuroSpa. (n.d.). Breathwork and brain function. https://www.theneurospa.com/treatments/breathwork/

HABA USA. (n.d.). Benefits of stacking games. https://www.habausa.com/blogs/blog-inspiration/stacking-up-the-benefits-of-stacking-and-arranging-games-for-children

PubMed Central. (n.d.). Cognitive benefits of games. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11688402/