Human electrocortical dynamics while stepping over obstacles.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Human locomotion studies
• Mobile electroencephalography (EEG)

Background:

• Understanding brain dynamics during physical activity is challenging due to motion artifacts in electroencephalography (EEG).
• Existing EEG methods are limited in studying brain activity during complex, real-world movements like locomotion.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a novel dual-layer EEG electrode system for artifact removal during mobile EEG.
• To investigate human brain dynamics during visually guided locomotion, specifically walking and running over obstacles.

Main Methods:

• Constructed and validated a novel dual-layer EEG electrode system using an electrical head phantom and robotic motion platform.
• Collected EEG data from healthy subjects walking and running on a treadmill while encountering unexpected obstacles.
• Analyzed spectral power changes in specific brain regions (supplementary motor area, premotor cortex, posterior parietal cortex) across delta, theta, and alpha frequency bands.

Main Results:

• Observed spectral power increases in the supplementary motor area and premotor cortex within ~200 ms of obstacle appearance.
• Detected subsequent spectral power increases in the posterior parietal cortex, with decreasing lag time correlating with increased locomotion speed.
• The observed neural activation sequence suggests interruption of gait and predictive planning of foot placement.

Conclusions:

• The novel dual-layer mobile EEG system effectively isolates electrocortical signals during locomotion.
• The findings provide insights into the neural mechanisms underlying gait adaptation and obstacle negotiation.
• This advanced EEG approach facilitates the study of brain dynamics in physically active, real-world settings.