T Minus 16

Cognitive Systems: Learning

The fifth cognitive system that we will be assessing with our brain performance test is the learning system. Learning within the brain is quite complex and actually involves multiples processes and systems - the system we are focused on is our system that processes feedback (internal or external) and uses this feedback to optimize behaviour. With EEG, we can directly measure the function of this system by looking at a component of the human event-related brain potential (ERP) called the reward positivity (an ERP is an evoked response a stimulus much like the P300 mentioned earlier in this blog).

As with the other aspects of cognitive function, our feedback dependent learning system is impaired with cognitive fatigue and as such we will be measuring and tracking it while we are in the HISEAS habitat.