Phase Synchronization Between Motor Cortices During Gait Movement in Patients With Spinal Cord Injury

Spinal cord injury (SCI) frequently leads to generalized locomotor disability and gait disturbances which cause serious discomfort among patients. Human gait is a complex process in the central nervous system that results from the integration of various mechanisms which remain unclear. Therefore, it is of great theoretical and practical significance to investigate the cortical activity patterns during gait movement in SCI. In this study, brain activity was recorded by electroencephalogram (EEG) during two kinds of gait-like movements. Phase synchronization between motor cortices was investigated through source analysis and phase locking. Results revealed that diverse neural networks with different resonance-like frequencies exist in the brain. Further, we found that the premotor cortex played an important role in the control of passive gait-like movement. In attempted/active movement, spatial function and multimodal integration with somatosensory information are crucial aspects of posterior parietal cortex function which need to be considered separately in different EEG bands. Our results further confirmed that neural system control patterns in passive gait-like movement differ from those in attempted or active gait-like movement. Novel insights into human gait will provide a basis for improvements in future neurorehabilitation applications.