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Maintaining Gait Performance by Cortical Activation during Dual-Task Interference: A Functional Near-Infrared
Chia-Feng Lu1, Yan-Ci Liu2, Yea-Ru Yang3
1Translational Imaging Research Center, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC; Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC; Department of Physical Therapy and Assistive Technology, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
Performing a cognitive or motor task while walking alters gait and brain activity. Increased activation in motor areas correlates with gait declines, suggesting a regulatory mechanism for dual-task walking.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Biomechanics
- Human Motor Control
Background:
- Daily mobility involves walking while performing cognitive or motor tasks.
- Previous research explored dual-task effects on gait, but few examined cortical activation and its gait association.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess gait performance and cerebral oxygenation in prefrontal cortex (PFC), premotor cortex (PMC), and supplemental motor areas (SMA) during dual tasks.
- To investigate the relationship between cortical activation and gait changes during dual-task walking.
Main Methods:
- Simultaneous assessment of gait and cerebral oxygenation using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS).
- 17 young adults performed normal walking (NW), walking while performing a cognitive task (WCT), and walking while performing a motor task (WMT).
Main Results:
- Left PFC showed strongest activation during WCT. SMA and PMC activation increased during WCT and WMT.
- Both WCT and WMT reduced walking speed, but through different gait alterations: WCT affected cadence, stride time, and length; WMT affected stride length only.
- Increased PMC and SMA activation correlated with gait declines during dual tasks.
Conclusions:
- Cortical activation, particularly in PMC and SMA, plays a regulatory role in maintaining gait performance during dual-task activities.
- These findings elucidate the neural mechanisms enabling individuals to perform a secondary task while walking.
