You've likely heard someone mention "cognition" or "cognitive performance" and wondered what they actually mean. Use of these terms is becoming more common among Service Members, but clear definitions aren’t usually provided. The reality is, cognitive performance is essential to your military readiness, whether in the field, during training, or managing everyday tasks. In addition, like other aspects of your performance, you can optimize your cognition.
In this article you'll discover what cognition is, identify strategies to boost your cognitive performance, and find resources available to you and other Service Members.
What's cognition?
In simple terms, “cognition” refers to your ability to take in, process, understand, and use information. Some key components of cognition include (but are not limited to):
- Alertness refers to how awake and ready to take in information you are. Think of it as how "on" your brain is at any moment.
- Attention relates to your ability to remain focused and on task while ignoring distractions.
- Reaction time is how fast your brain processes information, makes a decision, and initiates an action.
- Working memory is your brain's short-term storage. It allows you to hold information briefly to help you execute a task. The classic example is remembering a phone number long enough to dial it. Once you dial it, you can't remember it anymore.
- Learning and memory relate to your brain's long-term storage. After you acquire information, your brain needs to process and store it for later use. For example, you can recall mission details because your brain effectively stores the information you received during training.
- Reasoning and problem-solving skills help you draw logical conclusions from the information you have and find solutions to challenges.
- Planning is your ability to think ahead, create a sequence of actions or tasks, and prioritize to achieve a specific goal.
- Decision-making is your ability to evaluate multiple options and select the best course of action.
You engage your cognition all the time. For example, go/no-go decisions in the field engage your alertness, attention, decision-making, and reaction time. During flight operations, working memory helps you manage information, while problem-solving, reasoning, and reaction time allows you to deal with unexpected challenges. Intelligence analysis and mission planning rely on learning, memory, and reasoning to integrate data with previous experience; these jobs also require planning and decision-making to create a sound strategy.
In your everyday life, you also use different combinations of your cognitive functions to organize and plan your week, solve puzzles, learn new skills or concepts, make financial decisions, among other things.
What's cognitive performance?
“Cognitive performance” is a measure of how well your brain functions at performing tasks that require thinking and processing, learning, and remembering information. Different tasks involve different components of cognition. This means that your performance can vary depending on the task. For example, you might be very good at ignoring distractions and focusing for long periods of time but struggle with remembering things. High performance in one cognitive area doesn’t necessarily mean high performance in another.
Different tests are used to measure performance in different aspects of cognition. You wouldn't use the same test to measure muscular strength and cardiovascular endurance. Likewise, no single test can assess all your cognitive abilities. For example, the psychomotor vigilance test (PVT) involves pressing a button in response to a visual stimulus. PVT is frequently used in research studies to assess the effects of sleep deprivation and fatigue on alertness, attention, and reaction time. But, a different test, such as the delayed recall test, measures your ability to retain information.
It's important to make the distinction between mental performance from cognitive performance. Mental performance is a broad concept that does include cognitive abilities, but it also includes emotional regulation, stress optimization, motivation, and resilience. In simple terms, mental performance includes both cognitive and emotional factors that influence military readiness.
How to boost your cognitive performance
Just like any other aspect of your performance, cognition can be optimized. The science on the effectiveness of brain games and training to boost cognitive performance is still evolving. But investing in healthy habits across the Total Force Fitness (TFF) domains are effective ways to sharpen your brain.
Exercise isn't just good for your body, it benefits your brain, too. Physical activity increases blood flow and fuel to brain cells. More blood, oxygen, and glucose reaching your brain directly supports all aspects of your cognition. In addition, exercise promotes the release of brain chemicals that act as “brain fertilizer” to support the growth and maintenance of brain connections and improve learning and memory. High-intensity exercise can also boost alertness and attention.
Nutrition also has direct effects on your brain function. Your brain needs nutrients your body can't make, and you must get these nutrients from what you eat. Without a steady supply of these nutrients, your cognitive function can suffer. A diet rich in colorful fruits and vegetables, whole-grain carbohydrates, lean proteins, and unsaturated fats can provide the nutrients your brain needs to function at its best. Also, drink plenty of water because dehydration can impair your thinking, focus, and memory.
Sleep gives your brain much needed rest and recovery from intense daily activity. When you sleep, your brain resets alertness and attention, consolidates memories, clears out toxins, and prepares for the next day. After being awake for 18 hours, your alertness, attention, reaction times, and working memory take a sharp dive. Over time, sleep loss builds up a “sleep debt” that can further hurt your cognitive performance. The good news is that paying off sleep debt corrects the cognitive impairment.
Stress optimization is using stress as a tool to reach your goals instead of letting it get in the way of your performance. But too much or prolonged stress can disrupt your memory and learning, reduce your attention, and impair your decision-making. It's impossible to eliminate stress from your life. But, you can use strategies to keep your stress level within a zone that supports optimal functioning.
Social engagement can also boost your cognitive performance. Spending time with friends, family, and your military community can reduce stress and stimulate your brain by encouraging conversations, problem-solving, conflict resolution, and emotional connection.
Challenging activities can help you improve specific aspects of your cognition. Think of your cognitive abilities as muscles—the more you use them, the stronger they get. Activities such as puzzles and playing strategic, logic, and memory games can help you improve your memory, reasoning, and problem-solving skills. Learning new skills, concepts, and languages can also help keep your brain strong.
Resources available to Service Members
Many military units have different providers who can help Service Members optimize their cognitive performance. The following professionals can guide you in sharpening your cognitive abilities and improving your overall performance. Keep in mind that the specific services might differ across military branches and units.
Certified Mental Performance Consultants (CMPC) are professionals with advanced degrees in fields such as sports science, psychology, and related disciplines (clinical psychology, educational psychology, clinical mental health counseling, social work, and industrial-organizational psychology). They receive certification through the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP) and are recognized for their expertise in supporting high-performing populations that include Service Members, athletes, coaches, performing artists, and business executives. CMPCs are qualified to support various aspects of performance, including enhancing focus and communication, reducing performance anxiety, building confidence, setting and achieving goals, fostering resilience, and strengthening teamwork.
Occupational Therapists (OT) can work with Service Members to minimize the effects of stress or injury on physiological, physical, and social health by improving functional cognition. This includes the cognitive ability to perform daily life tasks that incorporate aspects of metacognition (being aware of and understanding your own thought process), executive function, performance skills, and patterns. The goal of this approach is to identify performance capacity and then improve it through the use of strategies, habits, routines, and contextual and environmental resources to maximize that performance. OTs also assist in concussion and traumatic brain injury (TBI) recovery and work to educate Service Members on how behavioral changes, such as like meeting your sleep needs, can boost overall performance.
Cognitive Performance Specialists (CPS) are part of an interdisciplinary field of professionals with backgrounds spanning kinesiology, psychology, and motor learning and control professionals. CPSs develop and deliver education on effective strategies to enhance cognitive performance. They also design tailored training programs to help Service Members develop the cognitive skills needed to optimally perform training and operations, to increase team cohesion, and to enhance physical performance or recovery.
Cognitive Enhancement Practitioners are qualified to interpret cognitive test results and provide actionable feedback to improve performance. If needed, they can also refer Service Members to other available medical resources. These practitioners also offer training and education to help develop cognitive and behavioral skills to enhance memory, attention and focus, problem-solving, emotional regulation, energy management, interpersonal skills, and goal setting. Service Members can also seek their help to learn adaptive strategies for mild traumatic-brain-injury-related cognitive deficits. Cognitive enhancement practitioners can also advise or support research on cognitive and psychological performance.
Mental health providers are made up of a range of roles such as mental health technicians, counselors, and psychologists (some branches offer Aviation Psychologists) who specialize in clinical care, sports performance, and neurophysiological testing, among others. Mental health providers’ abilities to support cognitive enhancement vary with their specific role. But, some can deliver services to improve attention and focus, memory, problem solving, emotional regulation, energy management, interpersonal skills, and goal setting.
Physical performance providers such as dietitians, athletic trainers, strength-and-conditioning coaches, and physical therapists support cognitive enhancement by addressing the physical aspects of readiness. Dietitians can create meal plans to match your specific needs and fuel brain function. Strength-and-conditioning coaches can develop exercise routines to optimize your physical health, supporting your cognitive performance. Athletic trainers and physical therapists can assist you in recovering from injury so you can remain active.
Cognition is an important aspect of your performance and readiness. Take advantage of resources available at HPRC and your unit to optimize your cognitive performance. Like any other aspect of human performance, enhancing your cognition requires the right tools, effort, and consistency.