Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 31, 2025
Qualitative and Comparative Cortical Activity Data Analyses from a Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Experiment Applying Block Design
Published on: December 3, 2020
Between-sessions test-retest reliability of prefrontal cortical activity during usual walking in patients with
M Ranchet1, I Hoang1, R Derollepot1
1TS2-LESCOT, Univ Gustave Eiffel, IFSTTAR, Univ Lyon, F-69675 Lyon, France.
Background:
Examining between-sessions test-retest reliability of functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) data is crucial to better interpret rehabilitation-related changes in the hemodynamic response.
Research Question:
This study investigated test-retest reliability of prefrontal activity during usual walking in 14 patients with Parkinson's Disease with a fixed retest intervals of five weeks.
Methods:
Fourteen patients performed usual walking in two sessions (T0 and T1). Relative changes in cortical activity (oxy and deoxyhemoglobin: ∆HbO2 and ∆HbR, respectively) in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) using fNIRS system and gait performance were measured. Test-retest reliability of mean ∆HbO2 for the total DLPFC and for each hemisphere were measured using paired t-test, intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), and Bland-Altman plots with 95% agreement. Pearson correlations between cortical activity and gait performance were also performed.
Results:
Moderate reliability was found for ∆HbO2 in the total DLPFC (mean difference of ∆HbO2 between T1 and T0 = -0.005 µmol, p = 0.93; ICC average = 0.72). However, test-retest reliability of ∆HbO2 was poorer when considering each hemisphere.
Significance:
Findings suggest that fNIRS may be used as a reliable tool for rehabilitation studies in patients with PD. Test-retest reliability of fNIRS data between 2 sessions during walking tasks should be interpreted respectively of gait performance.
