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Beta activity in the premotor cortex is increased during stabilized as compared to normal walking
Sjoerd M Bruijn1, Jaap H Van Dieën2, Andreas Daffertshofer2
1Department of Human Movement Sciences, MOVE Research Institute Amsterdam, VU University Amsterdam Amsterdam, Netherlands ; Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University Fuzhou, China.
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience
|November 19, 2015
Summary
Human brain activity, measured via electro-encephalography (EEG), reveals the cortex actively controls gait stability. Enhanced brain control in the premotor cortex improves walking stability, even during steady gaits.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Biomechanics
- Human Motor Control
Background:
- Human bipedal locomotion is inherently unstable, yet humans maintain balance effectively.
- The brain's role in dynamically controlling gait stability remains incompletely understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the neural mechanisms underlying gait stability control.
- To identify cortical brain activity differences during normal versus stabilized walking.
Main Methods:
- Subjects walked on a treadmill under normal and laterally stabilized conditions.
- Collected electro-encephalography (EEG), kinematics, and electro-myography (EMG) data.
- Analyzed EEG using independent component analysis and dynamic imaging of coherent sources (beamforming).
Main Results:
- Stabilized walking significantly increased gait stability, indicated by lower local divergence exponents.
- Beamforming identified significant differences in beta band activity in bilateral premotor cortices.
- Left premotor cortex showed increased beta power during stabilized walking, particularly around push-off.
Conclusions:
- The human cortex, specifically premotor areas, plays a crucial role in maintaining gait stability.
- Even during steady walking, continuous cortical involvement is necessary for stability control.
