Exploring Prefrontal Cortex Involvement in Postural Control Across Degraded Sensory Conditions Using fNIRS and...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Human Physiology
• Cognitive Science

Background:

• The prefrontal cortex (PFC) integrates visual, vestibular, and somatosensory information for postural balance.
• The precise activation patterns within the PFC during standing and varying sensory input remain incompletely understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the PFC's activity map and distinct hemodynamic responses during postural control under altered sensory conditions.
• To identify specific PFC regions and hemodynamic signatures associated with different sensory inputs during balance tasks.

Main Methods:

• Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) was used to measure PFC hemodynamic responses in young adults.
• Participants stood in four sensory conditions, and machine learning classifiers with multivariate feature selection were applied.

Main Results:

• Distinct PFC activation patterns were observed, reflecting sensory processing, motor planning, and cognitive control for balance maintenance.
• Specific PFC locations and hemodynamic responses correlating with different sensory conditions were successfully identified.

Conclusions:

• The study provides insights into how the PFC manages balance by integrating sensory information.
• Findings can inform rehabilitation strategies, fNIRS study designs, and brain-computer interfaces for balance assessment and training.