Rethinking‭ ‬the methods for improving mental rotation‭: ‬upper alpha neurofeedback and‭ ‬mental rotation task

Dr. Nihai Farraj

The purpose of the research is to investigate the role of upper alpha (10-13Hz) oscillations in mental rotation skill and the methods for enhancing this skill. Mental rotation is the ability to mentally rotate objects in order to better understand their structure. Rotating objects in one׳s mind is required for a variety of skills, including math reasoning, navigation, motor skills, and understanding the docking position in molecules. EEG studies revealed a correlation between upper alpha oscillations in the brain׳s visuospatial regions and mental rotation performance. It has been repeatedly reported that increasing upper alpha intensity with neurofeedback training over multiple sessions improves individual performance of the mental rotation task applied to well-known objects. The requirement for multiple sessions is impractical, particularly for applied technologies to enhance learning; thus, in the current study, we examine the effect of a single session neurofeedback training on upper alpha amplitude and the subjects׳ level of performance in a mental rotation task compared to a control group. Because memory plays a role in the efficacy of manipulating objects, we investigate the effect of upper alpha on mental rotation of first-time seen objects, such as images of complex molecules.

Results: Our findings show that approximately 70% of the neurofeedback group had a higher upper alpha amplitude after neurofeedback training compared to the control group. Participants in the neurofeedback group who increased upper alpha were on average faster in mental rotation in both familiar and unfamiliar objects than the control group.

Conclusions: These results add to the theory new findings: (1) A single session of neurofeedback is effective in increasing upper alpha. (2) Elevated upper alpha correlates with mental rotation of both familiar and unfamiliar objects, implying that object storage in memory contributes to mental rotation performance but is not critical.