A Systematic Review of Cognitive Enhancement Interventions for Use in Military Operations

Abstract

Future battlefield environments will require Soldiers to process large amounts of mission critical information within short periods and to interact with adaptive autonomous systems. Enhancing cognitive abilities such as sustaining attention over longer periods, more efficient processing of perceptual information, and quicker decision-making processes in these environments will promote mission success and operational effectiveness. The literature suggests numerous interventions for cognitive performance enhancement, including the use of stimulant agents, transcranial direct current stimulation, as well as others, some of which may be more appropriate for military settings. The purpose of this review was to summarize findings regarding the enhancement interventions from randomized, placebo-controlled, experimental research studies. While evidence supports the efficacy of some of the identified methods, further evaluations of not only the effectiveness and safety of these interventions but also the reliability and duration of effects are needed prior to implementation in military settings.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Aug 12, 2019
Accession Number
AD1083490

Entities

People

  • Amanda Hayes
  • Amanda Kelley
  • Colby Mathews
  • Emmanuel Nwala
  • Jared Basso
  • Kathryn A. Feltman
  • Kyle Bernhardt

Organizations

  • United States Army Aeromedical Research Lab

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Brain
  • Cognition
  • Cognitive Science
  • Cognitive Workload
  • Computer Vision
  • Drug Abuse
  • Human Behavior
  • Information Processing
  • Mental Processes
  • Military Operations
  • Neurology
  • Neurosciences
  • Personality
  • Psychology
  • Psychophysiology
  • Thinking
  • Training

Fields of Study

  • Psychology

Readers

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  • Neuroscience
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Technology Areas

  • Autonomy
  • Autonomy - Human-Robot Interaction