13. Implications and applications¶
Here's a bit of the mental process I went through to define the path for my final project.
What?¶
A programmable product as a game that activate the cognitive process, increasing neuroplasticity, and strengthening neural connections through movement.
Why?¶
Seeking to combine physical movement with meaningful mental processing
Movement strengthens neural connections more than thought alone; that is, when we move and "do something" with what we know, these connections are precisely when they are modulated, shaped, and reinforced. The difficulty level of the project I propose will be gradual to adapt to each player's cognitive and motor skills, reinforcing attention and concentration through gamification.
Who?¶
From kids of 7 years minimum to adult of all ages.
- Kids (7): Early stimulation
- Kids(9+)-Youngs-Adults: Neuroplasticity
How?¶
For this project I am certain I will need to apply the knowledge of E-textiles, but depending of the final design maybe even wearables, circular fashion (modules), digital fabrication.
I am not close to the idea of doing one or another.
When?¶
More details with submission dates:
Slide show¶
Research & Concept¶
Neuroplasticity¶
Neuroplasticity, or brain plasticity, is the nervous system's ability to modify its structure and function in response to new stimuli, learning, or injury. Brain plasticity operates at multiple levels: from microscopic changes in synaptic connections to massive reorganizations of entire brain areas (De Medeiros, 2025).
De Medeiros, A. (2025, 22 mayo). ¿Qué es la neuroplasticidad? Estimulación Cognitiva Madrid | Academia Neurona. https://academianeurona.com/neuroplasticidad/
How does the brain Works?¶
Lobes¶
The brain is divided in four lobes:
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Frontal lobe: Located in the front of the head, it is the largest lobe of the brain: Thinking, organizing, problem solving, planning, short-term memory, movement (motor cortex) and speech ability come from this part of the brain
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Parental lobes: Located in the middle part of the brain. Interprets feeling, sensory information. Process taste, temperature and texture. Understands spatial relationship, meaning where one´s body is, in comparison to the objects around the person. It interpreters pain and understand spoken language.
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Occipital lobes: This part of the brain is located in the back of it. It oversees recognizing and assimilation of images, visuals. Process images you see and connect them to the images store in our memories.
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Temporal lobe: It is a two-part lobe, it involves the sides of the brain, and they process information that we smell, taste or hear. It can also play a role in memory storage, musical rhythm and speech.
Motor cortex¶
The motor cortex is part of the frontal lobe, anterior to the central sulcus, it´s primary function sending the signals to direct and control the body´s movement. This region of the brain consist of three main areas: Primary motor cortex, premotor cortex and supplementary motor area.
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Primary motor cortex in Brodmann area 4, is the one in charge of sending most electrical impulses from the motor cortes, these fibers synapse with the spinal cord motor neurons.
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Premotor cortex is situated in Brodmann area 6, and its function is to prepare for movement, especially proximal musculature.
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Supplementary motor is the area where functions including body postural stabilization and coordination take place, (although it is not fully understood)
Physiology, Motor cortical. (2025, 1 enero). PubMed. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31194345/
Cerebellum and brainstem¶
The cerebellum is located below and behind the rest of the brain, it is a wrinkle ball of tissue. It combine the sensor information from the eyes, ears and muscles to make coordinate movements. This part of the brain activates when playing instruments for example.
The brainstem links directly to the brain. It controls vital functions like heart rate, blood pressure and breathing. It is also very important for the process of sleeping.
Johns Hopkins Medicine. (s. f.). Brain Anatomy and How the Brain Works. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/anatomy-of-the-brain How your brain controls everything from your heart rate to your mood. (s. f.). Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/epilepsy/in-depth/brain/art-20546821
Neurotransmitters¶
Neurotransmitters refers to the process in which within a neuron, an impulse moves to the tip of an axon and causes the release of chemicals, kind of messengers between nerve cells.
They pass through the gap between two nerve cells, attaching to receptors on the receiving cell, this process is known as synapse. Then this process repeats from neuron to neuron as the impulse travels to its destination, this created a web of communications, which allow us to move, think and communicate.
How your brain controls everything from your heart rate to your mood. (s. f.-b). Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/epilepsy/in-depth/brain/art-20546821
Basal ganglia¶
The basal ganglia are a group of brain structures linked together, handling complex processes that affect your entire body. While best known for their role in controlling your body’s ability to move, experts now know they also play a role in several other functions, such as learning, emotional processing and more.(Cleveland Clinic Medical, 2025)
They are best known for helping the brain controlling the body´s movement. They are the key part of the network of brain cells and nerves that control the body´s voluntary movements, they “approve or reject” by filtering out unnecessary or incorrect signals of movement that the brain sends. Also, in charge of letting control specific muscles without using other that is nearby.
For a signal to travel from the brain to the muscle, first the basal ganglia approve a signal, then it will continue to the motor pathways, the nerves, and finally carry the signal down the spinal cord and verves to their destination muscle. But if they don’t approve this signal, they redirect it into an area where other brain cells dampen those signals until they stop.
All sensory information is sent to the basal ganglia, meaning sight, sound, smell, taste and touch, so that with it, that will help refine further movements.
Decision-making: The basal ganglia also process how one evaluate goals and risks, the signals that affect emotions and motivation and play a role in planning, learning , forming habits, carrying tasks.
Reward and addiction: They affect how one learn, and fell in response to things happening around, including reward (feeling good), and the need to avoid something;also have a role in illnesses like addiction since they also process the information regarding rewards, habits and motivation.
Cleveland Clinic Medical. (2025a, noviembre 18). Basal ganglia. Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/23962-basal-ganglia
What is an stimuli?¶
A stimulus is anything that can trigger a physical or behavioral change. They can be either external or internal
Stimulus: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia. (s. f.). https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002309.htm
Functional roles and cognitive contributions¶
Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex regions, primarily BA46 and BA9 bilaterally are responsible for executive control functions such as transformation and manipulation of information, updating and maintenance of a specific goal.
BA46’s has a role regarding working memory functions related to event memory and planning, showing increased activation when multitasking. It is also one of the parts involve for cognitive functions.
Moreover, it contributes to the maintance and manipulation of semantic information
Krawczyk, D. C. (s. f.). Contributions of the prefrontal cortex to the neural basis of human decision making (Vol. 26). https://doi.org/10.1016/s0149-7634(02)00021-0
Cognitive functions¶
Cognitive functions are what happened in the brain so we can process information and perform activities, this involves millions of neuronal connections distributed throughout the brain lobes, and depending on the task/stimulus the activation of different areas.
When do cognitive functions start to deteriorate?
Aging is the primary reason of this happening, now, how this process happens, along with health, functional capacities, depend on both the genetic structure and the environment that has surrounded us throughout our lives.
Of course, neurodegenerative diseases, neurodevelopmental disorders, mental illness, intellectual disabilities can also play a role in the deteriorate of this functions.
Can we preserve cognitive functions?
Yes, it has been shown that this deterioration can slow down if we keep a healthy life, active, and stimulating environments, specially working in our abilities through cognitive stimulation practices and exercises.
Gnosis¶
It refers to the ability of the brain to recognize previous learning regarding objects, people, or places, there are different types:
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Visual: Recognize elements and attribute meaning to them, especially objects, faces, places, colors.
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Auditory: Recognize and differentiate sounds.
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Tactile: Recognize objects by touch, like textures, temperatures.
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Olfactory: Recognize odors, smells.
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Gustatory: Recognize trough taste, flavors.
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Body schema: Recognize and mentally perceive the body, its parts and develop the movements that can be done with each. It involves orientation of the body in the space.
Attention¶
Attention is the process of directing cognitive resources towards certain aspects of the environment, or towards the execution of certain actions that seem most appropriate. It refers to the state of observation and alertness that allows awareness of what is happening in the environment (Ballesteros, 2000).
It’s the ability to generate, maintain or direct a state of alertness and process correctly information.
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Sustained attention: Ability to maintain fluidly focus for a prolonged period on an specific task or event.
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Selective attention: Ability to direct attention and focus on something allowing other stimuli, either internal or external, to interrupt the task. (Understanding Cognitive Functions: Types, Importance, And How To Preserve Them, s. f.)
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Alternating attention: ability to shit focus from one task to other, or an internal norm.
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Processing speed: Is the rating of how fast the brain can perform a task.
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Hemineglect: Difficulty or inability to direct attention towards either side, left or right, in relationship with the body and space.
Executive functions:¶
Executive functions are complex cognitive processes necessary for planning, organizing, guiding, revising, regulating, and evaluating behavior necessary to adapt effectively to the environment and to achieve goals (Bauermeister, 2008).
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Working memory: It is the system that allows the maintenance, handling and processing information in the mind
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Planning: It is the ability to draw references, establish abstract relationships and compare results
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Flexibility: Ability to generate new strategies to adapt behaviors, base on what the changing environment demands.
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Inhibition: Ability to ignore impulses or irrelevant information, it can be either externally or internally when performing a task.
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Decision making: Ability to decide the course of action after analyzing the possible options, with their possible outcomes and consequences.
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Time estimation: Ability to estimate the duration and passage of time of an activity.
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Dual execution: Ability to be able to perform two task of different types at the same time, paying both attention simultaneously.
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Branching (Multitasking): ability to organize and optimally perform tasks simultaneously, inter-mixing them yet always knowing the status of each.
Understanding Cognitive Functions: Types, Importance, and How to Preserve Them. (s. f.-b). https://neuronup.us/areas-of-intervention/cognitive-functions/
Gamification¶
This term refers to the technique where game-design elements or strategies are used in non-game context.
To successfully apply this concept, it is needed to specify: - What is it that we want the people to do. What do we want to measure?
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Who is it going to “play”. What motivates them.
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What is the trajectory of activities. Small victories.
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What's the fun part?
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What techniques and tools are we going to do
Escobar, C. (2024, 14 febrero). Que es y cómo se implementa la Gamification. UPB. https://www.upb.edu.co/es/central-blogs/gerencia-empresa-liderazgo/que-es-gamification-como-se-implementa
References & Inspiration¶
Some examples of common games or exercises that work under the same principle of working on cognitive functions, stimulating neuroplasticity are:
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| This game involves placing four colors, with the instruction NOT to select the color called out, but any other. The brain instinctively tries to select the color it hears, thus working on, among other things, processing speed and inhibition. | Here are shown different ways of taking the basics of tests like Stroop and making them games, but doing it in a digital way |
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I got some feedback after the first presentation of my Project, and apart from all good advices and ideas, it also helped me to understand how my project is perceived by others, and thus to precisely define the path of the project.
So here I added more concrete and specific information about the project, re-evaluating certain parts, but its just mainly refinement of everything I proposed in the previous information.