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Muse, a neurotechnology company based in Toronto, Canada, has launched Muse S Athena, a cutting-edge wearable device designed to provide users with enhanced cognitive fitness insights. This innovative product leverages two sophisticated brain monitoring technologies: Electroencephalogram (EEG), which tracks brain wave activity, and Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS), which assesses oxygen levels in the brain’s frontal cortex.
The Athena system translates real-time brain activity into useful insights, tailored training modules, and measurable outcomes, according to the company. It utilizes Muse’s AI-driven Foundational Brain Model (FBM), developed from over 80,000 EEG sessions collected across a vast database.
This launch signifies Muse’s expansion beyond its original focus on sleep and meditation, aiming to transform itself into a comprehensive brain health brand. The goal is to empower users to enhance their mental capabilities just as individuals invest in physical fitness.
By combining dual-brain sensor neurofeedback with AI analytics, Athena measures and trains cognitive strength, mental clarity, and recovery by assessing real-time brain activity and oxygen levels. This innovation redefines the concept of mental fitness, enabling users to enhance their ability to concentrate, endure challenges, and improve resilience, while also taking proactive steps against cognitive decline.
Users can train their minds by wearing a lightweight headband equipped with sensors and interact with real-time neurofeedback through the Muse App. In addition to traditional EEG neurofeedback experiences, Athena introduces a new challenge: controlling an owl’s flight using solely mental focus.
Uniquely, Athena allows training with both eyes open and closed, enabling users to build cognitive endurance through various tasks or deepen meditation focus. Users can observe the owl’s flight speed change depending on their mental effort, as reduced mental strain—as gauged by blood oxygenation levels—slows its flight, offering immediate biofeedback aimed at enhancing concentration and resilience.
Bringing advanced brain training to everyday life
Muse, equipped with its sensor technology, plays a pivotal role in addressing cognitive health issues.
Given that dementia currently impacts six million Americans and is projected to double by the year 2060, the demand for proactive brain health solutions is escalating. Significant evidence suggests that lifestyle choices and early interventions can help slow or even prevent cognitive decline, yet the majority of the aging population primarily prioritizes physical health.
EEG (The Skill of the Mind): This technology tracks brainwave patterns, monitoring how the brain transitions between states of focus and relaxation.
fNIRS (The Strength and Endurance of Mental Fitness): This tool assesses brain oxygen levels, reflecting the brain’s ability to cope with stress, maintain attention, and recover.
“True health isn’t just physical—it starts with your brain,” stated Jean-Michel Fournier, CEO of Interaxon. “Athena is built to address the pressing issue of cognitive decline, marking a significant shift in Muse’s journey from meditation to comprehensive brain health. Just like physical fitness requires strength, endurance, and skill, mental fitness needs similar targeted approaches. Athena furnishes the tools necessary to enhance cognitive performance, foster resilience, and cultivate lifelong brain health.”
The dual-brain sensor technology of Athena reveals an enriched, multidimensional perspective on mental effort and resilience that individual EEG or fNIRS measurements cannot achieve. Leveraging AI-derived insights from Muse’s Foundational Brain Model, Athena customizes neurofeedback training with a level of precision that makes advanced brain health insights more approachable than ever.
Key advancements enabled by combining EEG and fNIRS include:
AI-powered holistic insights: By capturing both neural oscillations (through EEG) and cerebral blood oxygenation (via fNIRS), Athena offers a comprehensive understanding of mental effort, focus, and resilience.
Targeted cognitive training: fNIRS allows for precise monitoring of the prefrontal cortex, vital for executive functions, and enables Athena to suggest interventions aimed at improving memory, attention, and problem-solving abilities.
Neurovascular coupling and accuracy: By correlating electrical brain activity (EEG) with blood flow (fNIRS), Athena deepens insights into how the brain adjusts during cognitive tasks, enhancing training initiatives and promoting neuroplasticity.
Athena’s revolutionary design also impacts various sectors beyond personal use:
Workplace performance (Neuroergonomics): The technology aids in optimizing mental workload and productivity in high-stress environments.
Sleep health and diagnostics: The Muse S headband is recognized for its exceptional accuracy in tracking sleep patterns and now incorporates advanced monitoring of brain oxygenation and SpO₂ levels, improving detection of early sleep apnea indicators.
Cognitive aging research: The device supports interventions aimed at mitigating age-related cognitive decline by providing immediate brain data.
“Muse headbands are becoming a game-changer in the field of sleep wearables. Their user-friendly design, paired with the capability to access both raw and processed EEG data post-recording, opens up exciting pathways for exploring sleep-related brain activities in real-world settings,” commented Rebecca Robillard, a sleep researcher affiliated with the Canadian Sleep Research Consortium. “I am eager to witness the scientific and clinical advancements made possible by Athena’s new fNIRS and SpO₂ features.”
The Athena system makes sophisticated neuroscience accessible and actionable, setting a novel benchmark for brain health by integrating advanced research with daily cognitive wellness practices. The Muse S “Athena” headband is currently available for purchase at choosemuse.com for $475.
Muse’s AI-powered neurotechnology tools are designed to empower researchers, developers, and consumers globally, supported by an extensive body of over 200 research studies conducted by esteemed institutions such as the Mayo Clinic, MIT, and Harvard. To date, Muse has aggregated and analyzed more than a billion minutes of brain data, establishing one of the world’s largest EEG datasets.
Source
venturebeat.com