The Effect of Neurofeedback Training on Mild Cognitive Impairment Elderly in Kuching Area
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UNIVERSITI MALAYSIA SARAWAK
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Neurofeedback training (NFT) is a self regulation technique that helps individual learns to control or change their brain activity. This study aimed to apply neurofeedback to enhance the cognitive performance in elderly with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). Using Quantitative Electroencephalography (QEEG) to record and analyzed the brain rhythms patterns of elderly before and after neurofeedback, this study then focused on alpha wave in the neurofeedback training as it was positively associated with cognitive performance decline in elderly. Ten subjects were selected through convenience and purposive sampling after administration of MMSE and other instruments and then were assigned to experimental (NFT) and control group (no NFT).With 15 sessions of alpha neurofeedback, increase in alpha absolute power was rewarded while simultaneous suppression of theta and beta2 were done in experimental group. Results showed that after completion of neurofeedback, all subjects in experimental group learn to increase their alpha absolute power while mixed result was recorded for suppression of theta and high beta either at individual, inter and intra group level. Increase in absolute power in pre and post QEEG in inter (within group) and intra (between group) group level were significant in alpha rhythms except for at location T3T4 in intra group analysis. Cognitive enhancement was measured in terms of working memory (Digit Span & Arithmetic) & processing speed (Symbol Search & Coding) components test of WAIS-IV. Cognitive results in individual level revealed that pattern of increase and decrease of score was regular in experimental group with all of them shown increment in DS, AR and SS while for CD only 2 had lower score in post CD. In control group, the pattern of changes was not regular with few had increment in certain test than and some did not had changes in score at all. At grouped level, significant increment observed in DS and SS in experimental group only. These iv results suggest that MCI elderly could learn to increase specific components of EEG activity that such enhanced activity may facilitate in working memory and processing speed enhancement.