Análise de coerência de ativação cortical de indivíduos jovens e idosos submetidos a uma exposição à realidade virtual

Abstract

Introduction: During the aging process, physiological changes occur that lead to a decrease in brain processing speed. In recent years virtual reality (VR) has been increasingly applied in rehabilitation centers, so knowing the influence of VR under brain activity, in these populations is necessary. Within this context, Electroencephalography is considered as one of the main means of capturing brain activity. By obtaining the brain activity, we can study it in several ways, one of them is the study of coherence between pairs of electrodes, allowing to analyze the relations of different brain areas and how they exchange information. Objective: This study aims to investigate the immediate influence of exposure to a balance session in a virtual environment on the coherence between the frontal lobes of young and old adults, measured using Emotiv EPOC. Methodology: A comparative study involving 20 individuals divided into the groups: young (GJ) and elderly (GI). After undergoing an evaluation of the general condition, the necessary support for the gait (FAC) and the cognitive state (MEEM), the participants performed during 4 minutes, the penguin slide game of the balancing category of Nintendo Wii, whose effects on the activity Were collected through COPD. Results: The GJ presented similar inter-hemispheric coherence values in the alpha band and in the beta band in comparison to the GI. Regarding phase coherence, the GI presented an anticipation of the right hemisphere while, the GJ presented of the left hemisphere. Conclusion: Virtual reality seems to stimulate both GJ and GI. However, the GJ presented patterns of activation and phase coherence, which suggest compatibility with prior learning to VR, justifying the differences found in phase coherence between the groups.