Saluting our Soldiers Series: Part 4 – Cognition and Combat
Ed. Note: To coincide with Independence Day celebrations, we’re offering an educational 4-part series “Saluting our Soldiers.” We’re taking a closer look at the mental health issues facing today’s soldiers and veterans—and sharing the latest research news affecting military personnel.
Overview: The brain of an active duty soldier experiences a heavy cognitive load. Because combat situations may include things like instantaneous switching between rest and action, extended periods of wakefulness and vigilance, and unpredictable situations that require lightning-fast reaction time and on-the-spot decision-making, the brain has to work double-time to keep up.
Focus: Vision: Military pilots need to have good vision, but many also undergo training to give their visual processing a boost. It’s important that pilots tune up their peripheral vision, so they can see as much of what’s around them as possible. Drivers can also benefit from expanded peripheral vision, or field of view. Learn how one type of field of view training works.
Research Studies: Learn about the latest research on the cognitive processes of active duty military personnel.
- Click here to read about how psychiatric drugs can reduce reaction time and impair motor skills in military personnel.
- Click here to see a study about the effects of undernourishment on a soldier’s mood and reaction times.
- Click here to read a study about how combat eye protection may limit peripheral vision–and how soldiers can adapt.
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