Chinese Journal of Rehabilitation Theory and Practice ›› 2024, Vol. 30 ›› Issue (9): 1074-1081.doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1006-9771.2024.09.011

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Characteristics of brain activation during treadmill walking with visual feedback in healthy subjects and hemiplegic patients: a functional near infrared spectroscopy study

XIE Dandan1, CHEN Shanjia1, LEI Lei1, YU Guo1, YU Jiahui1, ZHAO Jiapei1, HE Xiaokuo1,2()   

  1. 1. Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Fifth Hospital of Xiamen, Xiamen, Fujian 361101, China
    2. Xiamen Key Laboratory of Rehabilitation Technology Transformation of Encephalopathy, Xiamen, Fujian 361101, China
  • Received:2024-06-17 Revised:2024-07-15 Published:2024-09-25 Online:2024-10-15
  • Contact: HE Xiaokuo, E-mail: hexk@sohu.com
  • Supported by:
    Xiamen Key Project of Medical Treatment and Public Health(3502Z20234005);Xiamen Natural Science Foundation(3502Z202373135);Xiamen Natural Science Foundation(3502Z20227418);Fujian Province Natural Science Foundation(2022D010)

Abstract:

Objective To compare the cortical activation characteristic in the healthy subjects and hemiplegia patients during executing treadmill walking with visual feedback (TWVF).
Methods From August to November, 2021, eight stroke patients with right hemiplegia (patient group) and eight healthy subjects (healthy group) in Fifth Hospital of Xiamen were recruited. Both groups wore functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) caps and executed TWVF, respectively. Experimental block design for walking modes included the preparation period (10 s) and task period (five cycles of "step 30 s- rest 30 s"). The cortical activation (β values) were measured. The regions of interest (ROI) included the pre-motor cortex (PMC), supplementary motor area (SMA), primary motor cortex (M1), primary somatosensory cortex (S1) and sensorimotor cortex (SMC, M1+S1).
Results No activation in bilateral M1, and some significant activation (P < 0.05) in the left hemisphere SAM, PMC and S1, were found during walking in the healthy group. M1 was activated more in the unaffected (right) hemisphere than in the affected (left) hemisphere during walking in the patient group (P < 0.05), and less PMC activation was found (P < 0.05). M1 in bilateral hemispheres, SMA in the unaffected hemisphere and PMC in the affected hemisphere were activated more in the patient group than in the healthy group (P < 0.05).
Conclusion The locomotor network of SMC-PMC-SMA are activated more in the hemiplegic patients than in the healthy pepole during walking. M1 are almost not activated in the healthy people during walking, and compensatorily activated in M1 of the unaffected side in the hemiplegic patients.

Key words: stroke, walking, brain activation, functional near infrared spectroscopy

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