The effect of a neuromodulation protocol on executive functions in healthy elderly: psychometric and EEG evidences

Executive functions tend to decrease their efficiency during the physiological aging process. Nevertheless, cognitive and brain reserves are thought to act as protective factors against cognitive decline and the re-activation of cognitive and neural networks by means of non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) may help in maintaining those reserves and improving functional profiles. The present research thus investigates the effect of prefrontal NIBS in empowering executive functions and electrophysiological attention responses in healthy elderly people. Twenty-two volunteers have been assigned to a control or NIBS group. The NIBS protocol (anodal transcranial Direct Current Stimulation) lasted eight weeks (three sessions per week), with twice-weekly administration of tasks tapping on executive functions. Participants’ cognitive and electrophysiological profiles have been assessed at the beginning, after the treatment period, and after six months. Data analyses showed interesting positive modulations in post-intervention performances for the NIBS group – specifically in tests tapping on executive functions and automatic electrophysiological attention responses. Besides, participants’ subjective reports of improvement in everyday functioning, behavioral and electrophysiological evidences suggest that a moderately intensive NIBS protocol might help in empowering specific cognitive functions even in healthy aging and hint at interesting implication for prevention and early intervention.