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Prefrontal cortex controls human balance during overground ataxic gait.
Pietro Caliandro1, Marcella Masciullo, Luca Padua
1Department of Neuroscience, Institute of Neurology, Catholic University, Rome, Italy. p.caliandro@rm.unicatt.it
Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience
|July 4, 2012
Summary
Prefrontal cortex (PFC) activation increases during walking in patients with ataxia. This activation correlates with gait impairment severity, suggesting a compensatory role in severe cases.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Gait Analysis
- Cerebellar Disorders
Background:
- Ataxia, a condition affecting gait and balance, often involves cerebellar dysfunction.
- The prefrontal cortex (PFC) plays a role in motor control and cognitive processes, potentially influencing gait adaptation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate prefrontal cortex (PFC) activation during over ground walking in patients with ataxia.
- To determine the correlation between clinical gait parameters and PFC activation patterns in ataxic individuals.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a near-infrared system to measure oxygenated ([O2Hb]t) and deoxygenated ([HHb]t) hemoglobin concentrations in the PFC of 14 patients with ataxia and 20 healthy controls.
- Assessed ataxia severity using the Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA), focusing on gait and stance parameters.
Main Results:
- Significantly increased [O2Hb]t in the PFC bilaterally during gait was observed exclusively in ataxic patients (p < 0.01).
- No significant changes in [HHb]t were detected.
- Strong positive correlations were found between [O2Hb]c (baseline-corrected PFC activation) and SARA gait and stance scores (r > 0.83, p < 0.01).
Conclusions:
- The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is bilaterally activated during over ground walking in patients with severe chronic ataxia.
- This PFC activation likely represents a compensatory mechanism, particularly when other balance-controlling neural centers are compromised.
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