Neurofeedback and Aging: Exploring new strategies for Enhancing Cognitive and Emotional Well-being for Older People

Background: Pain is a complex experience that significantly impacts on the quality of life of many older adults. Recognizing, assessing, and managing pain in this population is crucial, as untreated or undertreated pain can lead to decreased mobility, social isolation, depression, and overall decline in health. Neurofeedback is a promising noninvasive technique to address these challenges associated with aging using real-time visualizations of brain activity self-regulation. Objectives: The aim of this work is to search for innovative noninvasive tools that may be complementary for the improvement and maintenance of various cognitive abilities (including pain management) in the elderly. To this end, this project proposes the evaluation of a new prototype designed for electronic neurofeedback, using EEG electrodes and biofeedback for the use of binaural tones and their impact on the waves displayed by the EEG could result in a cognitive rehabilitation method that can increase attention or memory by training some aspects of brain activity. Methods: The proposed methodology for use in older people consists of administering binaural auditory stimuli to volunteers of different ages while monitoring brain activity through neurofeedback, with the aim of assessing their influence on neuronal activity and response patterns. The collected signals were processed to facilitate data classification by applying machine learning methods. Results: The use of neurofeedback as a complementary tool in the treatment of older adults as an adjunctive therapy against mild cognitive impairment could aim to improve overall cognitive function and could also be integrated into wellness programs. This seminal project generated a new design of a prototype of a brain-computer interface (BCI) system, developed to facilitate real-time interaction and data analysis during neurofeedback and auditory stimulus experiments. The experimental protocol showed that auditory training, as part of a neurofeedback prototype, could offer a simple and effective self-management tool for older people. By performing auditory exercises, participants demonstrated improved attention, relaxation, and overall mental clarity. Conclusions: Addressing pain in older adults is a public health priority. While neurofeedback for older adults is still emerging and requires further clinical studies, these results highlight the potential of neurofeedback-based auditory training as a viable option to help older populations maintain cognitive health and manage stress, with the added benefit of being accessible and easy to use in daily life.