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Memory Training in Dementia: A VR-BCI Prototype with N-Back and Brainwave Analysis
Author(s)
Angthong, Sorawich
Angsuwatanakul, Thanate
Phairot, Ekkapon
Bunyasuwan, Meena
Khieukhajee, Jedsada
Date Issued
January 1, 2025
Type
Conference Paper
Abstract
Dementia, a neurodegenerative condition leading to significant memory impairment in the elderly, currently lacks a curative treatment. Management strategies focus on mitigating symptom progression. This study presents the development and preliminary evaluation of a novel Virtual Reality (VR) game prototype integrated with Brain Computer Interface (BCI) technology designed to enhance memory, a key deficit in dementia, and potentially delay its progression. The VR game employed an adaptive N-back task for memory training, while a 4-channel OpenBCI system non-invasively monitored electroencephalography (EEG) signals from five healthy young adult volunteers (aged 18-22). Analysis of EEG power ratios revealed a trend towards increased alpha wave activity during memory encoding phases of the game. Specifically, during the Alpha EEG test, theta wave amplitudes were consistently higher across all channels (F3, F4, O1, O2) compared to alpha and beta waves. Furthermore, a descriptive trend indicated that theta wave amplitudes tended to increase with increasing difficulty in the Alpha EEG test. During the N-back tasks, theta wave amplitudes were observed to be descriptively higher during the memory encoding period compared to the recall period in frontal channels (F3, F4). The initial observations, while not statistically significant due to the limited sample size, support the feasibility of using the VR-BCI system to engage memory-related brain activity. To thoroughly evaluate the potential of this approach for cognitive rehabilitation and dementia mitigation, further comprehensive research involving larger and older cohorts utilizing longitudinal designs is warranted.
Citation
Bmeicon 2025 17th Biomedical Engineering International Conference, 2025