Efficacy of Brain Brightening for Enhancing Performance and EEG Alpha Rhythm in Early and Middle Stage Dementia

Abstract

Purpose: A potential treatment to assist those with dementia is termed brain brightening (BB), a process of stimulation to the brain by providing Audio Visual Entrainment (AVE). AVE creates physiological changes including altered EEG activity, limbic stabilization, increases in neurotransmitters (serotonin, endorphin, melatonin), possible increase in dendritic growth, and increased cerebral blood flow. This study examines effects of BB on EEG patterns, cognitive functioning, ADL and dementia-related behavior in elders with dementia residing in ALF. Theoretical rationale: A physiological model incorporating changes that occur with AVE provides rationale for the BB intervention. The central hypothesis is that brain brightening will modulate brain wave frequency of elders with dementia toward the average of 10 cycles per second by increasing alpha and decreasing theta waves. This increase would thereby improve alertness and concentration (and subsequently ADL, motor and behavior) in elders with early and middle stage dementia.