Many have suspected this for years, but now science has finally proven that driving AutoX physically enlarges your cerebellum structure! It may not just be your imagination after all that your helmet seems to fit a little more snuggly by the end of the AutoX season.
(Paul Kudra modification of Bill Bogue photo)
ScienceDirect’s Neuroscience Letters, Volume 765, published primary research entitled “Gymkhana and pylon slalom driving training (…known here as “AutoX”…) effects on the cerebellum structure”. That paper documented the effect of advanced driving training conducted on AutoX courses on a variety of normal people that had not previously received advanced driving instruction before and had not previously driven in AutoX events. Researchers investigated the brain structure before and after the training using the voxel-based morphometry method and magnetic resonance imaging. They observed increased volume of right side cerebellum of the participants in as little as three days!
The Researchers noted that “it is important to understand the brain function in acquiring driving skills”. The right cerebellum controls the right hand and right foot, which is of course important for driving. As anyone that has attended CVR’s AutoX-University can attest, the Researchers also noted that lap times after training were clearly shortened and vehicle dynamics were more stable, indicating that the drivers’ skill level clearly improved. The cerebellum is involved in the process of learning sensory motor skills, such as smooth steering and pedal operations, learning the new course shape, and in vehicle size perception.
They concluded that just a few days of AutoX driving training changed the cerebellar structure and increased the volume of the right-side cerebellum, which is associated with the operation of the right hand and right foot. This is an important factor for average skill drivers who improved their ability to maintain safety margins more easily, lead to feeling safer and at one with the vehicle, and felt more fulfillment from being able to completely control their car, ultimately contributing to enhancement of the driving experience.
In CVR AutoX speak; we simply say “Better Driving…Faster!” Now we have proof.
Join the AutoX-U Class of 2023 next Spring and feel it for yourself. In the meantime, I wish you Happy Holidays and thank you for making this year so fun.
The full research paper can be found here: https://reader.elsevier.com/reader/sd/pii/S0304394021006601?token=516C8DAF93A0B3B39E3C70D7D931939C984EF3F023B988217A3FEBA545B85797554A2DDC154BA6464D3EA938BECF8832&originRegion=us-east-1&originCreation=20221125195235
