Publicação
Theta and alpha neurofeedback for age-related cognitive deficits
| Resumo: | With the growing life expectancy, the number of elderly people is increasing tremendously worldwide. The progressive decrease of synaptic plasticity and neuronal inter-connectivity, concomitant with neurophysiological and behavioral alterations in the ageing brain, may be delayed by neurorehabilitation. Current approaches used to modify cognitive capabilities are often divided into behavioral training procedures and techniques for direct modulation of neural mechanisms, as neurostimulation or neurofeedback. Neurofeedback, which most of the times is based on electroencephalogram signals, is used to train individuals on learning how to influence their own brain functions based on the online-analysis of the brain activity. However, the potential greater effects of rehabilition through a combined methodology of these two trends are poorly investigated. In the present study, we wanted to examine the effects of a protocol with neurofeedback training interleaved with neurocognitive tasks. It was hypothesized that the combined approach might have a superior impact on cognitive performance, in comparison with a neurofeedback training alone approach. A protocol for neurorehabilitation covering the two proposed methodologies was developed. It supports Alpha and Theta neurofeedback up-training, and can be interleaved with neurocognitive tasks, namely the n-Back Task (the 1-back and the 2-back versions) and the Corsi Block-Tapping Task (either in forward or in backward order). Then, 10 participants from a Health Care Centre from Braga, aged above 55 years-old, were intervened in a twelve-day protocol with either a neurofeedback-combined cognitive protocol or a neurofeedback-single protocol. In general, the protocol established appear to induce an enhancement of Alpha and Theta activity as an enhancement in working-memory overall state. However, no clear conclusions could be drawn about the real effects of the intervention due to the small sample size and inter-individual differences. With a forthcoming increase in the number of participants (with more participants already being recruited and intervened) we hope to better address the potential enhancement effects of the combined approach of behavioral training and neurofeedback, as well as understand the possible explanations in the origin of these effects. |
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| Autores principais: | Silva, Ana Maria Vaz Portugal |
| Assunto: | Ciências Médicas::Ciências da Saúde |
| Ano: | 2013 |
| País: | Portugal |
| Tipo de documento: | dissertação de mestrado |
| Tipo de acesso: | acesso aberto |
| Instituição associada: | Universidade do Minho |
| Idioma: | inglês |
| Origem: | RepositóriUM - Universidade do Minho |
| Resumo: | With the growing life expectancy, the number of elderly people is increasing tremendously worldwide. The progressive decrease of synaptic plasticity and neuronal inter-connectivity, concomitant with neurophysiological and behavioral alterations in the ageing brain, may be delayed by neurorehabilitation. Current approaches used to modify cognitive capabilities are often divided into behavioral training procedures and techniques for direct modulation of neural mechanisms, as neurostimulation or neurofeedback. Neurofeedback, which most of the times is based on electroencephalogram signals, is used to train individuals on learning how to influence their own brain functions based on the online-analysis of the brain activity. However, the potential greater effects of rehabilition through a combined methodology of these two trends are poorly investigated. In the present study, we wanted to examine the effects of a protocol with neurofeedback training interleaved with neurocognitive tasks. It was hypothesized that the combined approach might have a superior impact on cognitive performance, in comparison with a neurofeedback training alone approach. A protocol for neurorehabilitation covering the two proposed methodologies was developed. It supports Alpha and Theta neurofeedback up-training, and can be interleaved with neurocognitive tasks, namely the n-Back Task (the 1-back and the 2-back versions) and the Corsi Block-Tapping Task (either in forward or in backward order). Then, 10 participants from a Health Care Centre from Braga, aged above 55 years-old, were intervened in a twelve-day protocol with either a neurofeedback-combined cognitive protocol or a neurofeedback-single protocol. In general, the protocol established appear to induce an enhancement of Alpha and Theta activity as an enhancement in working-memory overall state. However, no clear conclusions could be drawn about the real effects of the intervention due to the small sample size and inter-individual differences. With a forthcoming increase in the number of participants (with more participants already being recruited and intervened) we hope to better address the potential enhancement effects of the combined approach of behavioral training and neurofeedback, as well as understand the possible explanations in the origin of these effects. |
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