scholarly journals A Game-based Neurofeedback Training System For Cognitive Rehabilitation in the Elderly

Author(s):  
Suwicha Jirayucharoensak ◽  
Pasin Israsena ◽  
Setha Pan-Ngum ◽  
Solaphat Hemrungrojn
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaehoon Jeong ◽  
Sungmin Kim ◽  
Nahyeon Kim ◽  
Yoonjoo Lee ◽  
Daechang Kim

Abstract Background: The biggest problem in an aging society is the development of degenerative brain disease in the elderly. Neurodegenerative brain disease can cause cognitive dysfunction and rapidly increase the prevalence of dementia and Parkinson's disease, posing a huge economic and social burden on the elderly. A computerized cognitive rehabilitation training system has been developed to prevent and train cognitive dysfunction, showing various clinical effects. However, few studies have analyzed components of contents such as memory and concentration training. In this study, the clinical effects and characteristics of the color, number and words elements were analyzed by subdividing the memory and concentration contents into elements, difficulty, and training methods.Methods: Using a total of eight contents developed based on neuropsychology, 24 normal subjects with an average age of 60.58 ± 3.96 years were conducted 3 times a week, and training was received for 30 to 45 minutes per session. To determine the training effect, MMSE-K, an evaluation tool most closely related to cognitive therapy, was used. The number of errors and problem solving time used in the analysis were dataized by measuring the number of incorrect answers selected by the subject and the time spent solving the problem, respectively. Using t-test, the significance of different between before and after training was determined. Correlation between the number of errors and problem-solving time by week was determined using a trend line. All experimental procedures and evaluations were conducted after obtaining IRB approval from Dongguk University Ilsan Hospital (DUIH2020-07-001).Results: The subjects' MMSE-K scores were 27.88 ± 1.70 points before intervention to 28.63 ± 1.69 points after three weeks of intervention. In each subdivided component, color element showed an effect of improving complex difficulty, number element had the most effective training effect, and word element had a predictive effect on cognitive decline. Conclusions: A detailed analysis results of the components used in a computerized cognitive rehabilitation training system will help develop degenerative brain disease contents to be developed later, and is expected to contribute to a prevention-oriented medical paradigm


2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Paulo Menezes ◽  
Rui P. Rocha

Abstract Societies in the most developed countries have witnessed a significant ageing of the population in recent decades, which increases the demand for healthcare services and caregivers. The development of technologies to help the elderly, so that they can remain active and independent for a longer time, helps to mitigate the sustainability problem posed in care services. This article follows this new trend, proposing a multi-agent system composed of a smart camera network, centralised planning agent, a virtual coach, and robotic exercise buddy, designed to promote regular physical activity habits among the elderly. The proposed system not only persuades the users to perform exercise routines, but also guides and accompanies them during exercises in order to provide effective training and engagement to the user. The different agents are combined in the system to exploit their complementary features in the quest for an effective and engaging training system. Three variants of the system, involving either a partial set of those agents or the full proposed system, were evaluated and compared through a pilot study conducted with 12 elderly users. The results demonstrate that all variants are able to guide the user in an exercise routine, but the most complete system that includes a robotic exercise buddy was the best scored by the participants. Article Highlights Proposal of a multi-agent system to help elderly adopting regular physical activity habits. A virtual coach and a robotic exercise buddy provide both guidance and companionship during the exercise. A pilot study conducted with 12 elderly users demonstrated an effective and engaging training system.


Author(s):  
Mark D. Griffiths ◽  
Daria J. Kuss ◽  
Angelica B. Ortiz de Gortari

There is a long history of using videogames in a therapeutic capacity including rehabilitation for stroke patients, people with traumatic brain injuries, burns victims, wheelchair users, Erb's palsy sufferers, children undergoing chemotherapy, children with muscular dystrophy, autistic children and individuals looking to overcome real-life challenges (including symptoms of depression) and boost their wellbeing (including boosting life satisfaction, self-efficacy and social support). This paper briefly and selectively examines a number of areas including: (1) videogames as physiotherapy and occupational therapy, (2) videogames as distractors in the role of pain management, (3) videogames and cognitive rehabilitation, (4) videogames and the development of social and communication skills among the learning disabled, (5) videogames and impulsivity/attention deficit disorders, (6) videogames and therapeutic benefits in the elderly, (7) videogames in psychotherapeutic settings, (8) videogames and health care, (9) videogames and anxiety disorders, and (10) videogames and psychological wellbeing. It is concluded that there has been considerable success when games are specifically designed to address a specific problem or to teach a certain skill. However, generalizability outside the game-playing situation remains an important consideration.


Author(s):  
Mark Griffiths ◽  
Daria J. Kuss ◽  
Angelica B. Ortiz de Gortari

There is a long history of using videogames in a therapeutic capacity, including rehabilitation for stroke patients, people with traumatic brain injuries, burns victims, wheelchair users, Erb’s palsy sufferers, children undergoing chemotherapy, children with muscular dystrophy, and autistic children. This chapter briefly examines a number of areas including: (1) videogames as physiotherapy and occupational therapy, (2) videogames as distractors in the role of pain management, (3) videogames and cognitive rehabilitation, (4) videogames and the development of social and communication skills among the learning disabled, (5) videogames and impulsivity/attention deficit disorders, (6) videogames and therapeutic benefits in the elderly, (7) videogames in psychotherapeutic settings, (8) videogames and health care, and (9) videogames and anxiety disorders. It is concluded that there has been considerable success when games are designed to address a specific problem or to teach a certain skill. However, generalizability outside the game-playing situation remains an important consideration.


2012 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Kiselev ◽  
M. Gövercin ◽  
M. John ◽  
B. Hennig ◽  
M. Haesner ◽  
...  

BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. e028632 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robin Bekrater-Bodmann ◽  
Annette Löffler ◽  
Stefano Silvoni ◽  
Lutz Frölich ◽  
Lucrezia Hausner ◽  
...  

IntroductionDementia (particularly Alzheimer’s disease, AD) is a major cause of impaired cognitive functions in the elderly. Amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) is a prodromal stage of AD, if substantiated by Alzheimer biomarkers. A neuroscientific model of pathological ageing emphasises the loss of brain plasticity, sensorimotor capacities and subsequent cognitive decline. A mechanistic treatment targeting dysfunctional plastic changes associated with ageing should be efficacious in delaying AD. In this trial, we aim to evaluate the effectiveness of a newly developed sensorimotor training, delivered at home, combined with personalised reinforcement, on the progression of aMCI-related cognitive impairments.Methods and analysisIn a randomised trial, we will compare two aMCI groups (30 subjects each), randomly allocated to a sensorimotor or a cognitive control training. Both trainings consist of an adaptive algorithm, and will last 3 months each. We hypothesise that both trainings will have positive effects on cognitive function with the sensorimotor training being superior compared with the control training based on its improvement in basic perceptual skills underlying memory encoding and retrieval. The primary outcome is episodic memory function, improved hippocampal function during memory tasks will be a secondary outcome. As further exploratory outcomes, we expect improved segregation in sensory and motor maps, better sensory discrimination only in the sensorimotor training and reduced transition to dementia (examined after completion of this study). We expect the experimental training to be evaluated more positively by the users compared with the cognitive training, resulting in reduced rates of discontinuation.Ethics and disseminationThe Ethics Committee of the Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, approved the study (2015–543N-MA), which adheres to the Declaration of Helsinki. The results will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. Access to raw data is available on request.Trial registration numberDRKS00012748.


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