Neural Variability in the Prefrontal Cortex as a Reflection of Neural Flexibility and Stability in Patients With Parkinson Disease

Neurology ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 10.1212/WNL.0000000000013217
Author(s):  
Inbal Maidan ◽  
Roni Hacham ◽  
Ira Galperin ◽  
Nir Giladi ◽  
Roee Holtzer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Dual Task ◽  
Mixed Model ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
Class Iii ◽  
Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy

Background and Objectives:Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) studies provide direct evidence to the important role of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) during walking in aging and Parkinson's disease (PD). Most studies mainly explored mean HbO2 levels, while moment-to-moment variability measures have been rarely investigated. Variability measures can inform on flexibility that is imperative for adaptive function. We hypothesized that patients with PD will show less variability in HbO2 signals during walking compared to healthy controls.Methods:206 participants, 57 healthy controls (age: 68.9±1.0 years; 27 women) and 149 idiopathic PD patients (age: 69.8±0.6 years, 50 women, disease duration: 8.27±5.51 years) performed usual walking and dual-task walking (serial 3 subtractions) with an fNIRS system placed on the forehead. HbO2 variability was calculated using the standard deviation (SD), range, and mean detrended time series of fNIRS-derived HbO2 signal evaluated during each walking task. HbO2 variability was compared between groups and between walking tasks using mixed model analyses.Results:Higher variability (SD, range, mean detrended time series) was observed during dual-task walking, compared to usual walking (p<0.025), but this was derived from the differences within the healthy control group (group X task interaction: p<0.007). On the other hand, task repetition demonstrated reduced variability in healthy controls but increased variability in patients with PD (interaction group*walk-repetition: p<0.048). The MDS-UPDRS motor score correlated with HbO2 range (r=0.142, p=0.050) and HbO2 SD (r=0.173, p=0.018) during usual walking in all participants.Discussion:In this study, we suggest a new way to interpret changes in HbO2 variability. We relate increased HbO2 variability to flexible adaptation to environmental challenges and decreased HbO2 variability to the stability of performance. Our results show that both are limited in PD however, further investigation of these concepts is required. Moreover, HbO2 variability measures are an important aspect of brain function that adds new insights into the role of PFC during walking with aging and PD.Classification of Evidence:This study provides Class III evidence that patients with PD have more variability within Hb02 signals during usual-walking, compared to healthy controls, but not during dual-task walking.

scholarly journals Levodopa Facilitates Prefrontal Cortex Activation During Dual Task Walking in Parkinson Disease

2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (7) ◽  
pp. 589-599 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diego Orcioli-Silva ◽  
Rodrigo Vitório ◽  
Priscila Nóbrega-Sousa ◽  
Núbia Ribeiro da Conceição ◽  
Victor Spiandor Beretta ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Parkinson Disease ◽  
Dual Task ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Vigilance Task ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy ◽  
Single Task ◽  
Dopaminergic Medication ◽  
Gait Parameters

Background. Although dopaminergic medication improves dual task walking in people with Parkinson disease (PD), the underlying neural mechanisms are not yet fully understood. As prefrontal cognitive resources are involved in dual task walking, evaluation of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) is required. Objective. To investigate the effect of dopaminergic medication on PFC activity and gait parameters during dual task walking in people with PD. Methods. A total of 20 individuals with PD (69.8 ± 5.9 years) and 30 healthy older people (68.0 ± 5.6 years) performed 2 walking conditions: single and dual task (walking while performing a digit vigilance task). A mobile functional near infrared spectroscopy system and an electronic sensor carpet were used to analyze PFC activation and gait parameters, respectively. Relative concentrations of oxygenated hemoglobin (HbO2) from the left and right PFC were measured. Results. People with PD in the off state did not present changes in HbO2 level in the left PFC across walking conditions. In contrast, in the on state, they presented increased HbO2 levels during dual task compared with single task. Regardless of medication state, people with PD presented increased HbO2 levels in the right PFC during dual task walking compared with single task. The control group demonstrated increased PFC activity in both hemispheres during dual task compared with single task. People with PD showed increases in both step length and velocity in the on state compared with the off state. Conclusions. PD limits the activation of the left PFC during dual task walking, and dopaminergic medication facilitates its recruitment.

A-9 Examining Neural Variability during Dual-Task Walking and Cortical Thickness in Older Adults

2021 ◽  
Vol 36 (6) ◽  
pp. 1048-1048
Author(s):  
Daliah Ross ◽  
Mark E Wagshul ◽  
Meltem Izzetoglu ◽  
Roee Holtzer
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Cortical Thickness ◽  
Dual Task ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Adverse Outcomes ◽  
Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy ◽  
Single Task ◽  
Mobility Impairments ◽  
Neural Variability

Abstract Objective Greater intraindividual variability (IIV) in behavioral and cognitive performance is a risk factor for adverse outcomes but research concerning IIV in neural signal is scarce. Using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), we showed that IIV in oxygenated hemoglobin (HbO2) levels in the prefrontal cortex increased from single task (Single-Task-Walk–STW; Single-Task-Alpha–STA) to Dual-Task-Walk (DTW) conditions in older adults. Herein, we predicted that, consistent with the neural inefficiency hypothesis, reduced cortical thickness would be associated with greater increases in IIV in fNIRS-derived HbO2 from single tasks to DTW when adjusting for behavioral performance. Method Participants were right-handed older adults without dementia recruited from the community (N = 55; M(SD) age = 74.84(4.97); %female = 49.1). Neuroimaging included fNIRS for HbO2 levels in the prefrontal cortex during tasks and MRI for cortical thickness. IIV was operationalized using the SD of fNIRS-derived HbO2 observations assessed during a 30-s interval in each experimental condition. Results Moderation analyses, assessed through linear mixed effects models, revealed that in several frontal (p &lt; 0.02), parietal (p &lt; 0.02), temporal (p &lt; 0.01), and occipital (p &lt; 0.01) regions, thinner cortex was associated with greater increases in HbO2 IIV from the single tasks to DTW. Conclusion Reduced cortical thickness was associated with inefficient increases in IIV in fNIRS-derived HbO2 from single tasks to dual-task walking. Worse IIV in gait performance under DTW predicts adverse mobility outcomes. Reduced cortical thickness and worse IIV of fNIRS-derived HbO2 during DTW are possible brain mechanisms that explain the risk of developing mobility impairments in aging and disease populations.

scholarly journals Interpersonal Synchrony Special Issue The role of anterior prefrontal cortex (area 10) in face-to-face deception measured with fNIRS

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paola Pinti ◽  
Andrea Devoto ◽  
Isobel Greenhalgh ◽  
Ilias Tachtsidis ◽  
Paul W Burgess ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Lie Detection ◽  
Brain Activation ◽  
Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Interpersonal Synchrony ◽  
Anterior Prefrontal Cortex

Abstract Anterior prefrontal cortex (PFC, Brodmann area 10) activations are often, but not always, found in neuroimaging studies investigating deception, and the precise role of this area remains unclear. To explore the role of the PFC in face-to-face deception, we invited pairs of participants to play a card game involving lying and lie detection while we used functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to record brain activity in the PFC. Participants could win points for successfully lying about the value of their cards or for detecting lies. We contrasted patterns of brain activation when the participants either told the truth or lied, when they were either forced into this or did so voluntarily and when they either succeeded or failed to detect a lie. Activation in the anterior PFC was found in both lie production and detection, unrelated to reward. Analysis of cross-brain activation patterns between participants identified areas of the PFC where the lead player’s brain activity synchronized their partner’s later brain activity. These results suggest that during situations that involve close interpersonal interaction, the anterior PFC supports processing widely involved in deception, possibly relating to the demands of monitoring one’s own and other people’s behaviour.

scholarly journals Modifications in Prefrontal Cortex Oxygenation in Linear and Curvilinear Dual Task Walking: A Combined fNIRS and IMUs Study

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (18) ◽  
pp. 6159
Author(s):  
Valeria Belluscio ◽  
Gabriele Casti ◽  
Marco Ferrari ◽  
Valentina Quaresima ◽  
Maria Sofia Sappia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Dual Task ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Cognitive Task ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Motor Task ◽  
Hemoglobin Concentration ◽  
Cortical Activation ◽  
Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy ◽  
Gait Quality

Increased oxygenated hemoglobin concentration of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) has been observed during linear walking, particularly when there is a high attention demand on the task, like in dual-task (DT) paradigms. Despite the knowledge that cognitive and motor demands depend on the complexity of the motor task, most studies have only focused on usual walking, while little is known for more challenging tasks, such as curved paths. To explore the relationship between cortical activation and gait biomechanics, 20 healthy young adults were asked to perform linear and curvilinear walking trajectories in single-task and DT conditions. PFC activation was assessed using functional near-infrared spectroscopy, while gait quality with four inertial measurement units. The Figure-of-8-Walk-Test was adopted as the curvilinear trajectory, with the “Serial 7s” test as concurrent cognitive task. Results show that walking along curvilinear trajectories in DT led to increased PFC activation and decreased motor performance. Under DT walking, the neural correlates of executive function and gait control tend to be modified in response to the cognitive resources imposed by the motor task. Being more representative of real-life situations, this approach to curved walking has the potential to reveal crucial information and to improve people’ s balance, safety, and life’s quality.

scholarly journals Motor Skill Training Effect on Real-Time Prefrontal Cortex Activation During Walking

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 162-162
Author(s):  
Subashan Perera ◽  
Theodore Huppert ◽  
Jennifer Brach ◽  
Andrea Rosso ◽  
Nemin Chen
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Physical Therapy ◽  
Dual Task ◽  
Motor Skill ◽  
Mixed Models ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Skill Training ◽  
Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy ◽  
Task Time ◽  
Motor Skill Training

Abstract We aimed to test the effects of motor skill training (MST) on gait automaticity measured by changes in prefrontal cortex (PFC) activation during actual walking. We used data from a 12-week trial of older adults (mean age=75.5, 60.5% women) randomized to standard physical therapy and standard+MST in a 1:1 ratio. Functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) measured PFC activation during simple and dual task walking. We will apply linear mixed models to assess effects of task, time, and MST on PFC activation. We will compare the PFC activation 1) during dual task walking compared to simple walking; 2) across visits after intervention; and 3) between participants receiving MST compared to standard physical therapy. These results will demonstrate whether gait automaticity, as evidenced by PFC activation during walking, is affected by MST.

scholarly journals 36 Altered Prefrontal Cortex Responses in Older Adults with Subjective Memory Complaints and Dementia During Dual-Task Gait: An Fnirs Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (Supplement_4) ◽  
pp. iv9-iv12
Author(s):  
Wei-Peng Teo ◽  
Timo Rantalainen ◽  
Helen Macpherson
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Dual Task ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Single Channel ◽  
Subjective Memory Complaints ◽  
Medical Systems ◽  
Subjective Memory ◽  
Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy ◽  
Memory Complaints

Abstract In this study, we investigated the effects of walking during single-task and dual-task gait (STG and DTG) conditions, on left prefrontal cortex (LPFC) activation in older adults with subjective memory complaints (SMC) and Dementia. A total of 72 older adults (aged 65-94 yrs; 33 Healthy; 28 SMC; 11 Dementia) were recruited from the community and assisted living facilities. A portable 7m zeno walkway gait analysis mat was used to measure stride, velocity, length and duration during 4 passes of STG and DTG each. A portable single-channel functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) device (Portalite, Artinis Medical Systems) was placed over the LPFC to measure changes in oxyhaemoglobin response (O2Hb) during STG and DTG. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with bonferroni post-hoc t-test for multiple comparisons was used to determine differences between groups. Our results showed that stride velocity, duration and length during STG (all p&lt;0.05) and DTG (all p&lt;0.000) were significantly impaired in the Dementia group compared to Healthy and SMC groups, while no significant differences were observed between Healthy and SMC groups. For STG, a greater increase in O2Hb (p&lt;0.05) was observed in the Dementia group compared to the Healthy and SMC groups, while no differences were observed between Healthy and SMC. However, a significant increase and decline in O2Hb was observed during DTG in the SMC and Dementia groups respectively, compared to Healthy. Our findings indicate an altered pattern of cerebral haemodynamic response of the PFC in people with SMC and Dementia that may be indicative of cognitive demands of gait. Our findings may have implications for the use of DTG and fNIRS as a potential early biomarker for cognitive declines in older adults.

scholarly journals High Intensity Intermittent Exercise Plays a Role in Improving Brain Activation During Complex Executive Functional Tasks

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-42
Author(s):  
Shweta Shenoy ◽  
Prachi Khandekar ◽  
Abhinav Sathe
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
High Intensity ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Intermittent Exercise ◽  
Brain Activation ◽  
Cognitive Testing ◽  
Cortical Activation ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy ◽  
Significant Difference

Several neuroimaging studies have examined the effect of different types and combinations of exercises on activation of brain associated with cognitive testing but none of these studies have examined the role of high intensity intermittent exercise (HIIE) in altering cortical activation from simple to complex cognitive tasks.  The purpose of this study was to find if HIIE has a role in modulating executive functions related to inhibitory control as expressed by changes in prefrontal cortex (PFC) activation.  Materials and methods. 40 healthy adults aged between 18-30 years volunteered for the study. They were randomly divided into HIIE a (n = 20) group and a control (n = 20) group. The HIIE group performed 4*4 min of high intensity exercise on a cycle ergometer with 3 minutes of active recovery at lower intensities between the bouts, whereas the control group performed no exercise. Prefrontal hemodynamics (oxy and deoxy haemoglobin) were assessed using functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) during the Colour Word Stroop test (CWST) on two sessions: pre-session and post-session (1 week after pre-session). Results. The results indicate a significant difference in CWST scores which coincided with a significant difference in hemodynamics of PFC between a congruent and a complex incongruent task in the HIIE group. There was a greater activation of the right frontopolar area, the left ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, and the left frontopolar area during the incongruent task in response to acute HIIE.  Conclusion. HIIE plays a role in changing brain activation during more complex interference related tasks.

scholarly journals The role of prefrontal cortex in a moral judgment task using functional near-infrared spectroscopy

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (11) ◽  
pp. e01116 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hadis Dashtestani ◽  
Rachel Zaragoza ◽  
Riley Kermanian ◽  
Kristine M. Knutson ◽  
Milton Halem ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Infrared Spectroscopy ◽  
Moral Judgment ◽  
Near Infrared Spectroscopy ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Judgment Task ◽  
Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy

scholarly journals Distinct fNIRS-Derived HbO2 Trajectories During the Course and Over Repeated Walking Trials Under Single- and Dual-Task Conditions: Implications for Within Session Learning and Prefrontal Cortex Efficiency in Older Adults

2018 ◽  
Vol 74 (7) ◽  
pp. 1076-1083 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roee Holtzer ◽  
Meltem Izzetoglu ◽  
Michelle Chen ◽  
Cuiling Wang
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Neural Activity ◽  
Dual Task ◽  
Rate Ratio ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Experimental Session ◽  
Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy ◽  
Velocity Estimate ◽  
Correct Letter ◽  
Task Conditions

Abstract Background Neural trajectories of gait are not well established. We determined two distinct, clinically relevant neural trajectories, operationalized via functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) HbO2 measures in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), under Single-Task-Walk (STW), and Dual-Task-Walk (DTW) conditions. Course trajectory assessed neural activity associated with attention during the course of a walking task; the second trajectory assessed neural activity associated with learning over repeated walking trials. Improved neural efficiency was defined as reduced PFC HbO2 after practice. Methods Walking was assessed under STW and DTW conditions. fNIRS was utilized to quantify HbO2 in the PFC while walking. Burst measurement included three repeated trials for each experimental condition. The course of each walking task consisted of six consecutive segments. Results Eighty-three nondemented participants (mean age = 78.05 ± 6.37 years; %female = 49.5) were included. Stride velocity (estimate = −0.5259 cm/s, p = &lt;.0001) and the rate of correct letter generation (log estimate of rate ratio = −0.0377, p &lt; .0001) declined during the course of DTW. In contrast, stride velocity (estimate = 1.4577 cm/s, p &lt; .0001) and the rate of correct letter generation (log estimate of rate ratio = 0.0578, p &lt; .0001) improved over repeated DTW trials. Course and trial effects were not significant in STW. HbO2 increased during the course of DTW (estimate = 0.0454 μM, p &lt; .0001) but declined over repeated trials (estimate = −0.1786 μM, p &lt; .0001). HbO2 declined during the course of STW (estimate = −.0542 μM, p &lt; .0001) but did not change significantly over repeated trials. Conclusion We provided evidence for distinct attention (course) and learning (repeated trials) trajectories and their corresponding PFC activity. Findings suggest that learning and improved PFC efficiency were demonstrated in one experimental session involving repeated DTW trials.

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