SMR Neurofeedback Training Facilitates Working Memory Performance in Healthy Older Adults: A Behavioral and EEG Study
SMR Neurofeedback Training Facilitates Working Memory Performance in Healthy Older Adults: A Behavioral and EEG Study
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DOI：
10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00321
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发表时间：
2018-12-20
影响因子：
3
通讯作者：
Tomaz, Carlos
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Campos da Paz, Valeska Kouzak;Garcia, Ana;Tomaz, Carlos
认知老化已经成为一个主要问题，因为预期寿命增加，老年人在社会和经济上都很活跃。神经反馈是一种通过操作性条件反射范式进行神经调节的技术，它使用计算机界面提供有关大脑活动的实时信息，以增强个体的自我知觉并协助调节。众所周知，感觉运动节奏（SMR）训练方案可以增强注意力，并已被应用于改善认知表现，主要是为了提高注意力和记忆力。本研究的目的是测试SMR方案是否可以改善老年人的工作记忆表现，从而有利于认知储备。17名老年人（12名女性）参加了一项随机安慰剂对照研究。他们完成了视觉工作记忆测试，延迟匹配样本任务（DMTS），在SMR神经反馈协议之前和之后，以比较他们的视觉工作记忆表现。此外，在进行DMTS训练前后采集了19个通道的脑电图。在相同激活功率的情况下，实验组的工作记忆表现均有改善，主要表现在额叶θ和β频带以及颞叶α频带。假手术组在训练后的工作记忆得分有一定的变化，但差异无统计学意义，其功率谱显示额叶和颞叶α和β带增强。没有接受神经反馈训练的那一组在他们的工作记忆表现和脑电图谱上都没有表现出变化。研究结果表明，神经反馈对老年人群的大脑储备有好处，因为个体在训练后的工作记忆表现有所提高，并且在工作记忆任务中脑电图的激活情况发生了符合预期的变化。
Cognitive aging has become a major concern because life expectancy has increased and elderly populations are socially and economically active. Neurofeedback is a technique of neuromodulation through operant conditioning paradigm that uses a computer interface to provide real-time information about brain activity to increase individual self-perception and assist in modulation. The sensorimotor rhythm (SMR) training protocol is known to enhance attention and has been applied to improve cognitive performance, primarily for attention and memory gains. The aim of this study is to test if the SMR protocol can improve working memory performance in an aging population and consequently favor cognitive reserve. Seventeen older adults (12 females) took part in a randomized placebo-controlled study. They completed a visual working memory test, Delayed Matching to Sample Task (DMTS), before and after the SMR neurofeedback protocol in order to compare their visual working memory performance. Moreover, a 19-channels EEG was collected while they perform the DMTS pre- and post-training. The experimental group showed an improvement in their working memory performance after the training with similar activation power, mainly in theta and beta frequency band at frontal and alpha at temporal regions. The sham group showed some variations in the score of working memory after the training, but were not statistically significant and their power spectrum demonstrate enhancement in alpha and beta band frontal and temporal. The group that did not receive neurofeedback training did not show a change in their working memory performance, neither in their EEG spectrum. The results suggest that neurofeedback can benefit brain reserve in an aging population because individuals enhanced their working memory performance after training and have their EEG activation changed according to expected in working memory tasks.