Cognitive intervention protocol for age-related memory impairments

With the number of elderly people increasing tremendously worldwide, comes the need for effective methods to maintain or improve older adults' cognitive performance. Using continuous neurofeedback, through the use of EEG techniques, people can learn how to train and alter their brain electrical activity. A software platform that puts together the proposed rehabilitation methodology has been developed: a digital game protocol that supports neurofeedback training of alpha and theta rhythms, by reading the EEG activity and presenting it back to the subject, interleaved with neurocognitive tasks such as n-Back and Corsi Block-Tapping. This tool will be used as a potential rehabilitative platform for age-related memory impairments.

This work was supported by FCT with the reference project FCOMP 01 0124 FEDER 021145 (FCT/PTDC/SAU? ENBIl18383/2010). The authors would like to acknowledge the helpful contributions of Ricardo Silva and Nadine Santos to the proposed experiment architecture.