A game-based neurofeedback training system for cognitive rehabilitation in the elderly

Abstract

There is a strong relationship between sustained attention and cognitive performance. The ability to sustain attention potentially leads to enhance cognitive functions. Attention Training provides a promising alternative therapy to enhance cognitive ability and it can be efficiently implemented with Neurofeedback Training (NFT) system. The purpose of this research is to develop a NFT system for attention training to enhance cognitive performance in older adults. The efficiency of the system was evaluated by establishing a clinical trial for healthy elderly and Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) patients to perform cognitive rehabilitation. There were totally 24 older adults, age 55-70 yrs, enrolled to this trial. Both healthy and MCI groups performed NFT interventions in 12 half-hour sessions, two sessions a week. Experimental results showed it is possible to train older adults to modify their amplitude of certain brain wave ranges using a neurofeedback protocol targeting several wave ranges for cognitive performance improvement. Most participants succeeded to increase the ratio of their beta/alpha power band in both groups. The relations between specific patterns of EEG activity and levels of cognitive performance can be investigated with the NFT system as a training technique. The system is aimed to encourage older adults to produce specific patterns of cortical activity in connection with an improved level of cognitive performance.