2. Introduction
• Cognitive performance and why it is important to me
• Tools to measure and optimise cognitive performance
• The experiment:
• The “lab”
• Variables
• Method
• Outcomes:
• Limitations
• What else did we learn?
• What actually “moved the needle”?
• Questions/Discussion
3. Cognitive performance
• Cognitive performance = making the most of your brain power = self
improvement
• How do you do everything at once?
• Succeed at your job
• Run a business
• Learn and develop
• Be a good partner
Got to make the most of things
• Have gone from meditation – productivity techniques – QS/biohacking
techniques
4. Cognitive performance
• How do you measure it?
• Psychometric tests: IQ, Executive functioning etc
• Proxies for the above (i.e. online versions)
• QS techniques: dual n-back, free cell, Lumosity
• How do you improve it?
• Supplements
• Nootropics
• Healthy lifestyle
• Training
5. The experiment – the lab
• Online cognitive testing lab: Quantified mind (www.quantified-
mind.com)
• Can set up your own experiments and collaborate
• Has an analytics engine to do all the stats work for you
6. The experiment – the method and
variables
• Testing a range of cognitive • Tested for impacts of:
functions: • Modafinil
• Choice Reaction Time • Piracetam
• Color-Word (Inhibition) • BP Coffee
• Visual Matching • BP compliant diet
• Sorting • General supplements
• Finger Tapping • Upgraded aging
• Attentional Focus • Mindfulness (that day)
• Coding • Mindfulness (day before)
• Self-Paced 3-Back • Creatine
• Binaural beats
• Super supplementing B vits
7. The experiment – the method
• Aiming for 50 sessions (@~15 min each)
• Started about 3 months ago
• So far have completed 15 sessions (life gets in the way)
• Going to keep the study going and see where it goes
8. Limitation #1 – Practice effects
• A practice effect is where you get better due to better skill at the tests.
This confounds the outcome of the experiment
• Quantified-Mind stats engine takes care of all that for you
• Or you can do your own regressions/residuals blah blah blah - YUK
(note that exporting data from quantified mind isn’t very user friendly)
11. Limitation #2 – Sample size
• Only 15 data points – is this enough to draw any conclusions from?
• Exacerbated testing across so many variables
Variable %
Modafinil 43%
Piracetam 86%
BP Coffee 79%
BP compliant diet 43%
General supplements 79%
Upgraded aging 57%
Mindfulness (that day) 21%
Mindfulness (day before) 7%
Creatine 0%
Binaural beats 36%
B vits 64%
12. Variable %
What else did we learn? Modafinil 43%
• Tracking your behaviour can tell Piracetam 86%
you some surprising things BP Coffee 79%
BP compliant diet 43%
• Which behaviours are habits?
General supplements 79%
• What are confounding factors that Upgraded aging 57%
affect your behaviour
Mindfulness (that day) 21%
Mindfulness (day before) 7%
Creatine 0%
Binaural beats 36%
B vits 64%
25. What moved the needle?
• Self paced 3-back?
• Piracetam has a weak association with increased performance
26. What moved the needle?
• Sorting?
• Modafinil and bi-naural beats had weak impacts on performance
27. Variable %
Conclusion Modafinil 43%
• B-vitamin “super Piracetam 86%
supplementation” and modafinil BP Coffee 79%
had the most significant
improvements BP compliant diet 43%
• Piracetam, BP compliant diet, bi- General supplements 79%
naural beats have weak impacts
that could warrant further Upgraded aging 57%
investigation Mindfulness (that day) 21%
• Experiment will continue in order Mindfulness (day before) 7%
to deliver more conclusive results
Creatine 0%
Binaural beats 36%
B vits 64%
