Cognitive decline that comes with age is characterized by a decreased functionality of short term memory, along with a delay in accessing memorized data, loss of sustained attention, motor skills, executive function, problem solving and rapidity in performances (Petersen 1992; Craik 1990; Rapp & Heindel 1994). Studies published in 1995 by The Canadian Study of Heath and Aging show that cognitive decline appears with a frequency of 28.3% in the population age over 65. However, approximately 2/3 of the population state that they experience cognitive changes, and this represents a serious public health issue.

          This group of people has increased vulnerability, associated with physical and cognitive decline and a high risk for developing minor disabilities. The connection between chronic disabilities or mortality and cognitive changes is well known (Ornstein & Sobel 1987; Branch & Jette 1982; Boaz 1994; Kellman 1994, s.a.).

          Chronic stress has been identified as the etiological base of physical and cognitive decline (Sapolsky 1992, 1994, 1986; Gilad 1995), and therefore stress could represent a key-factor in treatment. Functional changes such as hypertension, arthritis, chronic fatigue, tremor, chronic pain, irritable colon syndrome, asthma, insomnia, diabetes, are directly connected with the brain function.

          Cognitive decline is connected with both physical and psychological disorders (Elby, Hogan, Parhad 1995; Perls 1993). That is the reason why, the milder the affectation is, the easier is to prevent and treat, the process being reversible.

          The memory and cognition status when aging

          The major cognitive fields include attention, memory, language and visual-spatial processing, the ability to create abstract ideas, conceptual flexibility. These elements are used to measure the information’s processing speed (time until an answer is given), accuracy and quality (Wisocki 1991). The methods used for cognitive training focus on memory and fluidity of intelligence, i.e. the performance that involves sustained attention, perceptual motor skills, planning and organizing strategies, solving problems, as well as the speed of the action. This fluid intelligence is affected by stress and aging factors. It differs from crystallized intelligence, which is characterized by an automatic behavior based on education and cultural learning, and which remains stable throughout the years. Studies, performed by Levy and Langer on a period of 4 years, regarding the short term memory in aged people, concluded the following: In China, where elders are shown the utmost respect, there are fewer cases of disfunctionalities regarding the short term memory than in USA; this appears to be the result of the positive effect of self-perception regarding aging, and it strengthens the will to live and self-esteem. Phrases with a neutral or negative content do not determine positive changes. Subliminal presentations seem to short circuit the person’s defense mechanisms that usually block positive thoughts.

          The stress factors concerning elderly people can be chronic or severe and can determine a particular response: chronic pains, chronic illnesses, physical decline, mental seclusion, changes in moral support, less implication, mobility changes, financial security diminish, communication issues, worries regarding safety and the idea of aged people harming the society. All these elements have a negative influence regarding cognitive functionality on a social, behavioral and physiological level. On a physiological level, chronic secretion of glucocorticoids can reduce the hippocampic volume, and can also produce reversible atrophy of dendritic processes, in the hippocampus where the declarative memory and learning are active (Sapolsky 1996a). Moreover, glucocorticoids induce metabolic vulnerability by unbalancing the calcium and glutamate secretion; this produces dendritic atrophy of hippocampal neurons and cognition changes. Sapolsky, in 1994, describes this process as a waterfall, because the glucocorticoids secretion cannot be stopped through physiological feedback. Studies of over 50 years on stress have shown its negative consequences: tumor growth, development of ulcer, aggressivity diminish, dominant status diminish, suppression of lymphocytes proliferation (Shors 1990).

          Regardless of the problem, either chronic physical crisis such as hypoglycemia, oxygen deficit in heart attacks, or cerebral circulation disorders that follow epileptic crisis, they all produce an energetic crisis of hippocampal neurons that make the neurons loose their function. Physical decline, illness, communication barriers, they all determine a childish behavior, increased dependence, and social seclusion – all these factors participate in eliminating the sources that involve mental stimulation and participation. Frustration and chronic stress factors determine the appearance of a helplessness and hopelessness feeling that determine an unpredictable, uncontrollable and more difficult life.

          Cognitive and physical decline that follow cerebral hypoxia, appeared as a result of bad cerebral circulation, determine neurotransmitters’ deterioration, as a natural aging process of the neuronal network.

          The flexibility and balance of the healthy body

          In a healthy body, the parameters vary within normal boundaries, by adjusting to the surrounding environmental factors, and the body’s flexibility is responsible for the balance. In case of illness, the body loses its flexibility, and the variation of the parameters surpasses the normal and therefore irregular body cycles appear.

          The plasticity of cognitive and memory functions

          The degree of plasticity does not refer exclusively to the level of training for the actual performance, but also to the amount of success that the retraining will produce (Baltes and Lindenberger 1988; Kliegel, Smith and Baltes 1986). Cognitive plasticity can be observed in studies regarding compensatory plasticity development, when loss in one sensorial field such as sight, is compensated by increased functionality of another field such as hearing. Rauschecker (1995) suggests that playing produces synaptic changes through biochemical mechanisms.

          There are many theories regarding the aging process. In normal aging, the plasticity can be compromised by neuronal loss and synaptic changes in the hippocampus, but there are also compensatory mechanisms at work (Geinisman 1995; Sapolsky 1986). Petit, in 1982, noted that there are the same cellular and anatomical changes in both people with intact cognitive function and in those with senile dementia. The exception is the increased quantity of amyloid plaques in people with senile dementia. Nagy, in 1995, showed that the level of cognitive deficit is unrelated with the amyloid plaques’ density, but that there is a significant difference regarding the density of dendritic ramifications in normal people and those with pathological dementia. These differences have also been noted between cognitive trained and non trained persons.

          When aging, the cerebral waves recorded by the EEG have a diminished frequency. Likewise, alpha’s frequency domain is diminished, correlated with physical decline and longevity. For example, the posterior dominant rhythm in a person aged over 75 years old drops to 7-7.5 Hz and is characterized by an increase of theta waves. Physiological decline of alpha waves is 0.3 Hz every 7.3 years, and a faster decline increases the risk of mortality. If we were to summarize the EEG modifications during the aging period, we could say that elderly people have reduced cognitive abilities compared to young people. This fact is a motive of suffering. EEG modifications are nonlinear and connected with a diminished vigilance level and diminished blood flow to the brain with increased power regarding the level of theta waves,( which is a marker of cerebral hypoperfusion) and also with a decreased power regarding alpha band, not always followed by beta. The power decreasement in the 40 Hz band can be considered a marker of aging, as well as the delayed response P200 and P300.

          Coherence, one of the parameters that help define the efficiency of cerebral information processing is frequently low because of atherosclerosis, stress, amyloid plaques, which affect the neuronal connections, making them less efficient to communication.

          Concerning people that suffer from dementia, the brain activity is characterized by a significant increase of theta and delta activity, and a decreasement in blood flow and cerebral metabolic rate. These could indicate the fact that metabolic and circulatory activities are significant elements of cognitive decline. (Rockwood 2002). Theta and delta waves’ amplitudes are indicators in early diagnose for cognitive decline and life expectancy.

          By using neurofeedback techniques, all these aging inconveniences can be rapidly ameliorated by preserving a normal neuronal communication, thus maintaining the youth and flexibility of an efficient mind. Also, neurofeedback diminishes the physical decline by adequate social participation.

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