Brain Reaction Time Tracker

A modern web application for measuring brain reaction time based on Seth Roberts' self-experimentation protocol. Built with React, TypeScript, and Supabase.

This application was automatically generated from Seth Roberts' original R code at [github@personalscience/braintracker] https://github.com/personalscience/braintracker.

View a running version of this web app at brt.personalscience.com.

Overview

Seth Roberts was an early self-experimenter who developed brain reaction time testing as a way to measure cognitive performance, which he believed was correlated with many important aspects of health and well-being. This application implements his protocol in a modern web interface.

Features

• Reaction Time Testing: Implements the original Seth Roberts protocol with warmup (5 trials) and full test (20 trials) modes
• Precise Timing: Uses performance.now() for accurate millisecond measurements
• User Authentication: Secure user accounts with Supabase Auth
• Data Visualization: Charts and graphs to track performance over time using Recharts
• Test History: Complete historical record of all test sessions
• User Profiles: Personal profile management and settings
• Responsive Design: Works on desktop and mobile devices

Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Node.js (version 16 or higher)
• npm or yarn
• Supabase account and project

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

git clone <repository-url>
cd brain-tracker

2. Install dependencies:

npm install

3. Set up environment variables: Create a .env file in the root directory with:

VITE_SUPABASE_URL=your_supabase_url
VITE_SUPABASE_ANON_KEY=your_supabase_anon_key

4. Start the development server:

npm run dev

Available Scripts

• npm run dev - Start Vite development server
• npm run build - Build for production (TypeScript compilation + Vite build)
• npm run lint - Run ESLint with TypeScript support
• npm run preview - Preview production build locally

How to Use

1. Sign Up/Login: Create an account or sign in to access the testing interface
2. Warmup: Start with a 5-trial warmup session to get familiar with the interface
3. Full Test: Complete a 20-trial test session for meaningful data
4. View Results: Check your reaction times and performance trends in the dashboard
5. Track Progress: Use the history page to analyze your performance over time

Technical Architecture

Tech Stack

• Frontend: React 18 + TypeScript + Vite
• Styling: Tailwind CSS
• Authentication: Supabase Auth
• Database: Supabase (PostgreSQL)
• Charts: Recharts
• Icons: Lucide React
• Routing: React Router DOM

Database Schema

• profiles table: User profile data linked to Supabase auth
• brain_tests table: Test results with reaction times array, averages, conditions, and notes
• Row Level Security (RLS) enabled for user data isolation

Key Components

• Test Interface: Implements random stimulus delay (1-4 seconds), visual stimulus (red circle), and keyboard/click response detection
• Authentication Flow: Supabase handles authentication with automatic profile creation
• Data Collection: Stores reaction times, test conditions, and user notes
• Visualization: Real-time charts showing performance trends and statistics

Research Background

Seth Roberts published several examples of insights gained from brain reaction time tracking:

Roberts, S. (2004). Self-experimentation as a source of new ideas: Ten examples about sleep, mood, health, and weight. Retrieved from http://www.escholarship.org/uc/item/2xc2h866

Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Make your changes
4. Run tests and linting: npm run lint
5. Submit a pull request

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.

Support

For questions or support, please open an issue on the GitHub repository.