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Related Concept Videos

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 13, 2025

Reversible Cooling-induced Deactivations to Study Cortical Contributions to Obstacle Memory in the Walking Cat
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Obstacle avoidance movement-related motor cortical activity with cognitive task.

Akihiro Matsuura1, Natsumi Sai2, Ayaka Yamaoka3

  • 1Faculty of Rehabilitation, Hiroshima International University, Hiroshima, Japan. matsuura@hirokoku-u.ac.jp.

Experimental Brain Research
|November 14, 2021
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Summary

Performing a cognitive task while avoiding obstacles reduces motor cortex activity. This suggests a strategy shift in obstacle avoidance during dual-task situations to minimize neural effort.

Keywords:
Cognitive taskEEGMovement-related cortical potentialObstacle avoidance

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Biomechanics
  • Cognitive Psychology

Background:

  • Trip and fall accidents are often caused by failure to notice floor obstacles.
  • The neural mechanisms in the motor cortex preparing for obstacle avoidance during concurrent cognitive tasks are not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine motor cortical activity during the preparation and execution of obstacle avoidance combined with a cognitive task.
  • Investigate how dual-tasking affects the neural processes underlying obstacle negotiation.

Main Methods:

  • Twenty young adults performed obstacle avoidance while engaged in a cognitive task.
  • Electroencephalogram (EEG) was used to record brain activity, analyzing movement-related cortical potentials (MRCPs) time-locked to foot dorsiflexion.

Main Results:

  • No significant difference in toe-obstacle contacts occurred between single and dual tasks.
  • The distance between the toe and obstacle before movement initiation increased significantly in the dual-task condition.
  • MRCP amplitude decreased and onset was delayed during the dual task compared to simple obstacle avoidance.

Conclusions:

  • Participants adopted a modified stepping strategy during the dual task to reduce motor cortex workload.
  • Concurrent motor and cognitive demands alter preparatory neural activity and movement execution for obstacle avoidance.