scholarly journals Changes in Sensorimotor Cortical Activation in Children Using Prostheses and Prosthetic Simulators

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 991
Author(s):  
Christopher Copeland ◽  
Mukul Mukherjee ◽  
Yingying Wang ◽  
Kaitlin Fraser ◽  
Jorge M. Zuniga
Keyword(s):  
Near Infrared ◽  
Primary Motor Cortex ◽  
Tactile Feedback ◽  
Cortical Activation ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Neural Responses ◽  
Motor Tasks ◽  
Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy ◽  
Limb Reduction ◽  
Motor Dexterity

This study aimed to examine the neural responses of children using prostheses and prosthetic simulators to better elucidate the emulation abilities of the simulators. We utilized functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to evaluate the neural response in five children with a congenital upper limb reduction (ULR) using a body-powered prosthesis to complete a 60 s gross motor dexterity task. The ULR group was matched with five typically developing children (TD) using their non-preferred hand and a prosthetic simulator on the same hand. The ULR group had lower activation within the primary motor cortex (M1) and supplementary motor area (SMA) compared to the TD group, but nonsignificant differences in the primary somatosensory area (S1). Compared to using their non-preferred hand, the TD group exhibited significantly higher action in S1 when using the simulator, but nonsignificant differences in M1 and SMA. The non-significant differences in S1 activation between groups and the increased activation evoked by the simulator’s use may suggest rapid changes in feedback prioritization during tool use. We suggest that prosthetic simulators may elicit increased reliance on proprioceptive and tactile feedback during motor tasks. This knowledge may help to develop future prosthesis rehabilitative training or the improvement of tool-based skills.

scholarly journals Assessment of Brain Cortical Activation in Passive Movement During Wrist Task Using Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maziar Jalalvandi ◽  
Hamid Sharini ◽  
Yousof Naderi ◽  
Nader RiahiAlam
Keyword(s):  
Infrared Spectroscopy ◽  
Motor Cortex ◽  
Near Infrared Spectroscopy ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Primary Motor Cortex ◽  
Passive Movement ◽  
Cortical Activation ◽  
Movement Direction ◽  
Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy ◽  
Activation Patterns

Purpose: Nowadays, the number of people diagnosed with movement disorders is increasing. Therefore, the evaluation of brain activity during motor task performance has attracted the attention of researchers in recent years. Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) is a useful method that measures hemodynamic changes in the brain cortex based on optical principles. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the brain’s cortical activation in passive movement of the wrist. Materials and Methods: In current study, the activation of the brain's motor cortex during passive movement of the right wrist was investigated. To perform this study, ten healthy young right-handed volunteers were chosen. The required data were collected using a commercial 48-channel continuous wave fNIRS machine, using two different wavelengths of 765 and 855 nm at 10 Hz sampling rate. Results: Analysis of collected data showed that the brain's motor cortex during passive motion was significantly activated (p≤0.05) compared to rest. Motor cortex activation patterns depending on passive movement direction were separated. In different directions of wrist movement, the maximum activation was recorded at the primary motor cortex (M1). Conclusion: The present study has investigated the ability of fNIRS to evaluate cortical activation during passive movement of the wrist. Analysis of recording signals showed that different directions of movement have specific activation patterns in the motor cortex.

scholarly journals Tai Chi and Yoga for Improving Balance on One Leg: A Neuroimaging and Biomechanics Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xin-Peng Chen ◽  
Le-Jun Wang ◽  
Xiao-Qian Chang ◽  
Kuan Wang ◽  
Hui-Fang Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Tai Chi ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Primary Motor Cortex ◽  
Center Of Pressure ◽  
Relative Concentration ◽  
Cortical Activation ◽  
Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy ◽  
Lateral Direction ◽  
Concentration Changes

The one-leg stance is frequently used in balance training and rehabilitation programs for various balance disorders. There are some typical one-leg stance postures in Tai Chi (TC) and yoga, which are normally used for improving balance. However, the mechanism is poorly understood. Besides, the differences of one-leg stance postures between TC and yoga in training balance are still unknown. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate cortical activation and rambling and trembling trajectories to elucidate the possible mechanism of improving one-leg stance balance, and compare the postural demands during one-leg stance postures between TC and yoga. Thirty-two healthy young individuals were recruited to perform two TC one-leg stance postures, i.e., right heel kick (RHK) and left lower body and stand on one leg (LSOL), two yoga postures, i.e., one-leg balance and Tree, and normal one-leg standing (OLS). Brain activation in the primary motor cortex, supplementary motor area (SMA), and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) was measured using functional near-infrared spectroscopy. The center of pressure was simultaneously recorded using a force platform and decomposed into rambling and trembling components. One-way repeated-measures analysis of variance was used for the main effects. The relative concentration changes of oxygenated hemoglobin (ΔHbO) in SMA were significantly higher during RHK, LSOL, and Tree than that during OLS (p < 0.001). RHK (p < 0.001), LSOL (p = 0.003), and Tree (p = 0.006) all showed significantly larger root mean square rambling (RmRMS) than that during OLS in the medial–lateral direction. The right DLPFC activation was significantly greater during the RHK than that during the Tree (p = 0.023), OLB (p < 0.001), and OLS (p = 0.013) postures. In conclusion, the RHK, LSOL, and Tree could be used as training movements for people with impaired balance. Furthermore, the RHK in TC may provide more cognitive training in postural control than Tree and OLB in yoga. Knowledge from this study could be used and implemented in training one-leg stance balance.

scholarly journals Use-Dependent Prosthesis Training Strengthens Contralateral Hemodynamic Brain Responses in a Young Adult With Upper Limb Reduction Deficiency: A Case Report

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jordan A. Borrell ◽  
Christopher Copeland ◽  
Jessica L. Lukaszek ◽  
Kaitlin Fraser ◽  
Jorge M. Zuniga
Keyword(s):  
Young Adult ◽  
Upper Limb ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Manual Dexterity ◽  
Cortical Activation ◽  
Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy ◽  
Current Case ◽  
Intervention Training ◽  
Limb Reduction ◽  
Home Intervention

The purpose of the current case study was to determine the influence of an 8-week home intervention training utilizing a partial hand prosthesis on hemodynamic responses of the brain and gross dexterity in a case participant with congenital unilateral upper-limb reduction deficiency (ULD). The case participant (female, 19 years of age) performed a gross manual dexterity task (Box and Block Test) while measuring brain activity (functional near-infrared spectroscopy; fNIRS) before and after an 8-weeks home intervention training. During baseline, there was a broad cortical activation in the ipsilateral sensorimotor cortex and a non-focalized cortical activation in the contralateral hemisphere, which was non-focalized, while performing a gross manual dexterity task using a prosthesis. After the 8-week home intervention training, however, cortical activation shifted to the contralateral motor cortex while cortical activation was diminished in the ipsilateral hemisphere. Specifically, the oxygenated hemodynamics (HbO) responses increased in the medial aspects of the contralateral primary motor and somatosensory cortices. Thus, these results suggest that an 8-week prosthetic home intervention was able to strengthen contralateral connections in this young adult with congenital partial hand reduction. This was supported by the case participant showing after training an increased flexor tone, increased range of motion of the wrist, and decreased times to complete various gross dexterity tasks. Changes in HbO responses due to the home intervention training follow the mechanisms of use-dependent plasticity and further guide the use of prostheses as a rehabilitation strategy for individuals with ULD.

scholarly journals Decreasing the Surgical Errors by Neurostimulation of Primary Motor Cortex and the Associated Brain Activation via Neuroimaging

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuanyuan Gao ◽  
Lora Cavuoto ◽  
Anirban Dutta ◽  
Uwe Kruger ◽  
Pingkun Yan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Motor Cortex ◽  
Motor Skills ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Sham Group ◽  
Primary Motor Cortex ◽  
Cortical Activation ◽  
Fine Motor ◽  
Transcranial Electrical Stimulation ◽  
Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy ◽  
Surgical Errors

Acquisition of fine motor skills is a time-consuming process as it is based on learning via frequent repetitions. Transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) is a promising means of enhancing simple motor skill development via neuromodulatory mechanisms. Here, we report that non-invasive neurostimulation facilitates the learning of complex fine bimanual motor skills associated with a surgical task. During the training of 12 medical students on the Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery (FLS) pattern cutting task over a period of 12 days, we observed that transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) decreased error level and the variability in performance, compared to the Sham group. Furthermore, by concurrently monitoring the cortical activations of the subjects via functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), our study showed that the cortical activation patterns were significantly different between the tDCS and Sham group, with the activation of primary motor cortex (M1) and prefrontal cortex (PFC) contralateral to the anodal electrode significantly decreased while supplemental motor area (SMA) increased by tDCS. The lowered performance errors were retained after 1-month post-training. This work supports the use of tDCS to enhance performance accuracy in fine bimanual motor tasks.

The effect of robot-assisted gait training on cortical activation in stroke patients: A functional near-infrared spectroscopy study

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Kyeong Joo Song ◽  
Min Ho Chun ◽  
Junekyung Lee ◽  
Changmin Lee
Keyword(s):  
Gait Speed ◽  
Functional Outcomes ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Gait Training ◽  
Berg Balance Scale ◽  
Cortical Activation ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Stroke Patients ◽  
Robot Assisted ◽  
Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of the robot–assisted gait training on cortical activation and functional outcomes in stroke patients. METHODS: The patients were randomly assigned: training with Morning Walk® (Morning Walk group; n = 30); conventional physiotherapy (control group; n = 30). Rehabilitation was performed five times a week for 3 weeks. The primary outcome was the cortical activation in the Morning Walk group. The secondary outcomes included gait speed, 10-Meter Walk Test (10MWT), FAC, Motricity Index–Lower (MI–Lower), Modified Barthel Index (MBI), Rivermead Mobility Index (RMI), and Berg Balance Scale (BBS). RESULTS: Thirty-six subjects were analyzed, 18 in the Morning Walk group and 18 in the control group. The cortical activation was lower in affected hemisphere than unaffected hemisphere at the beginning of robot rehabilitation. After training, the affected hemisphere achieved a higher increase in cortical activation than the unaffected hemisphere. Consequently, the cortical activation in affected hemisphere was significantly higher than that in unaffected hemisphere (P = 0.036). FAC, MBI, BBS, and RMI scores significantly improved in both groups. The Morning Walk group had significantly greater improvements than the control group in 10MWT (P = 0.017), gait speed (P = 0.043), BBS (P = 0.010), and MI–Lower (P = 0.047) scores. CONCLUSION: Robot-assisted gait training not only improved functional outcomes but also increased cortical activation in stroke patients.

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.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document