Harnessing Brain Plasticity:
Video Games and the Future of
Neurotherapeutics
Adam Gazzaley, MD PhD
Director, Neuroscience Imaging Center
Neurology, Physiology and Psychiatry
University of California, San Francisco
Goal
Improve quality of life
Societal Challenge
Develop effective approaches to
enhance cognition in both
healthy and impaired individuals
Current System
60 year old with mild cognitive impairment
• Poor characterization
• Poor targeting
• Non-personalized
• Unimodal
• Open Loop
This is just not good enough
Create a New System
targeted / personalized / multimodal / closed-loop
Create a New System
Step 1: Understand the target
fMRI
EEG
TES
Our brain is vulnerable to a negative impact of interference
This all gets worse as we get older
Create a New System
Step 1: Understand the target
Step 2: Build the engine
Brain Plasticity
The brain’s ability to modify its function, structure &
chemistry in response to new experiences
Cognitive Enhancement
Traditional Education
Physical exercise
Meditation
Neurofeedback
Cognitive Training
Enriched
Environments
Neuromodulation
Ritalin
Adderall Transcranial magnetic
stimulation (TMS)
Pharmaceuticals
Aricept
Video games
Nutrition
Modafanil
Transcranial electrical
stimulation (tCES)
Direct Brain-Computer
Interfaces
Video Games
But, can they have deep and positive impact?
“Video games are just another manifestation of
human mania, our endearing quality of going
relentlessly after absolutely pointless goals.”
– John Skow, Time Magazine, 1982
Video Game Training
Can we develop a custom-designed
video game to enhance cognitive
control in older adults?
Video Game Training
Funded by Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Midline Frontal
Theta
Multitasking
Performance
12 hours
Multi-tasking Index
0%
-20%
-27%
-40%
-60%
-63%
-80%
-100%
8-12
20s
30s
40s
50s
60s
Decades of Life
Anguera et al. Nature 2013
70s
1 month
later
Training Study
Transfer of Benefits
Working Memory
&
Sustained Attention
Anguera et al. Nature 2013
12 hours
Move to the Real World
Akili Interactive Labs
Co-founder and Chief Science Advisor
Patent-pending:
Enhancing Cognition in the Presence of Distraction and/or Interruption
Move to the Real World
★ ADHD
• Scott Kollins, Duke University / Andrew Cutler, FLCRC
•
[Shire Pharmaceuticals]
★ Depression
• Patricia Arean, UCSF
•
[NIH]
★ Dementia
•
★ Autism
[Pfizer]
• Elysa Marco, UCSF
• [Wallace Foundation / James Gates Family Foundation]
Develop New Video Games
Internal Distraction
Long term Memory
Attention
Rhythm
Develop New Video Games
Virtual Reality
• More Real - World
• Deeper Immersion
• Wider Field of View
• Depth of Field
Develop New Video Games
Full-Body Motion
• More Real - World
• Deeper Immersion
• Embodied Cognition
• Physical Exercise
Create a New System
Step 1: Understand the target
Step 2: Build the engine
Step 3: Enhance the effects
Enhance the Effects
Neuromodulation
Neurofeedback
Video games
Real-Time EEG
Close the Loop
Behavior
Neural
Electrical
Environment
2019
2014
EEG
EEG
tACS
targeted / personalized / multimodal / closed-loop
Over the Next 10 years ...
Parkinson’s Disease
Schizophrenia
Anxiety Disorder
Alzheimer’s Disease
Multiple Sclerosis
Autism
Education
Traumatic Brain Injury
Depression
Attention Deficit Disorder
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Bridging the Gap Between Technology and Neuroscience
Neuroscapelab.com
Neuroscape
Thanks for your attention
Many thanks
Fellows
Faculty
• Ted Zanto
• Judy Pa
• Jyoti Mishra
• Peter Wais
www.gazzlab.com
Hardware Support
• Apple
• NVIDIA
Research
Partners
• Pat Arean
• Elysa Marco
• Oculus VR
Research
Associates
• David Ziegler
• Jacki Janowich
• Morgan Hough
• Cammie Rolle
• Bradley Voytek
• Roger Anguera
• Joaquin Anguera
• Rajat Jain
• Yixuan Ku
• Anirudh Wodeyar
• Martine Schouwenburg
Game Development
• Matt Omernick
• Dmitri Ellingson
• Eric Johnson
• Noah Fahlstein
• Ty Clark
• Matt Whitman
• Mike Gonzales
• Mickey Hart
• thanks to the many Gazzlab alumni and past partners
Financial Support
• National Institute on Aging
•
American Federation of Aging Research
• Sandler Foundation
• Jamie Gates Family Foundation
•
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
• Rose Family Foundation
•
Zynga Foundation
• Feldman Family Foundation
• National Institute of Mental Health
Students
• Zack Chadick
• Omar Alhashimi
• Alan Legitt
• Benjamin Dorn
• WanYu Hsu
GlassBrain
Partners
• Tim Mullen
• Christian Kothe
• Oleg Konigs
• John Fesenko
• Matt Omernick
• UCSF CTSI
• Posit Science
• Pfizer / Eisai
• Tim Ferriss