Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 17, 2026
07:52
Revised and Neuroimaging-Compatible Versions of the Dual Task Screen
Published on: October 5, 2020
4.0K
Prefrontal cortex function and gait alterations during single- and dual-task walking in knee osteoarthritis
Soyoung Lee1, Ehyun Kim1, Dilinazi Duolikun1
1Department of Physical Therapy, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.
Plos One
|September 11, 2025
Summary
People with knee osteoarthritis show worse walking performance when performing a cognitive task, despite similar prefrontal cortex activation. This highlights gait challenges in knee OA patients during dual-tasking.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Orthopedics
- Rehabilitation Science
Background:
- Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is linked to altered prefrontal cortex (PFC) activity during complex walking.
- Understanding the relationship between PFC activation and motor/cognitive performance in knee OA is crucial for rehabilitation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate PFC activation, motor, and cognitive performance during single- and dual-task walking in individuals with knee OA.
- To investigate the association between PFC activation and performance during these tasks.
Main Methods:
- Forty-eight participants with knee OA underwent functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) to measure PFC oxygenated hemoglobin concentration changes (ΔHbO2).
- Tasks included single-task walking (STW), a cognitive task (subtracting 7, S7), and dual-task walking (DTW).
- Gait parameters (speed, step/stride variability) and cognitive performance (S7 accuracy) were recorded.
Main Results:
- PFC activation was higher during STW and DTW compared to S7 alone, with no significant difference between STW and DTW.
- Participants exhibited slower gait speed and increased step/stride variability during DTW compared to STW.
- Greater activation in the right ventrolateral PFC and left dorsomedial PFC correlated with reduced step duration variability.
Conclusions:
- Knee OA patients experience gait performance decline when walking is combined with a cognitive task.
- Despite gait deterioration in dual-tasking, PFC activation does not significantly increase, suggesting potential limitations in cognitive-motor resource allocation.
