Yun-Juan Xie , Kai-Xuan Chen , Xiao-Dan Ma , Mei-Si Song , Hui Xie , Kui Li , Hong-Mei Wen , Zu-Lin Dou
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background
Stroke survivors frequently suffer from balance and gait impairments, yet the cortical mechanisms underlying these functions remain unclear. This study addresses this gap by utilizing portable functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to map task-specific neuroplasticity.
Objectives
We aimed to (1) compare cortical activation patterns during balance and walking tasks, (2) analyze functional connectivity (FC) and lateralization differences, and (3) explore correlations between neuroimaging metrics and clinical outcomes.
Methods
In this cross-sectional study, 31 stroke patients (60 ± 11.90 years; 29 % female) completed Tetrax balance training or AlterG treadmill walking. fNIRS measured hemodynamic responses in prefrontal, premotor, motor, somatosensory, and occipital cortices. Wavelet amplitude (WA) quantified activation; wavelet phase coherence (WPCO) assessed FC.
Results
Bilateral premotor cortex (PMC) and contralateral primary somatosensory cortex (S1) activation significantly increased during walking (P < 0.001).
FC strength increased between ipsilateral occipital cortex (iOC) and contralateral S1/M1 during walking (P < 0.05) but decreased in balance tasks.
Negative correlation emerged between contralateral PMC activation and Fugl-Meyer scores during balance (r = −0.537, P = 0.039), while activities of daily living (ADL) scores positively correlated with motor/occipital activation during walking (r = 0.53–0.87, P < 0.035).
No lateralization asymmetry was observed (P > 0.05).
Conclusions
Enhanced S1/occipital activation highlights critical roles of sensory-visual integration in post-stroke locomotion. Contralateral recruitment compensates for ipsilateral deficits during challenging tasks, providing neurophysiological insights for targeted rehabilitation.
期刊介绍:
An international multidisciplinary journal devoted to fundamental research in the brain sciences.
Brain Research publishes papers reporting interdisciplinary investigations of nervous system structure and function that are of general interest to the international community of neuroscientists. As is evident from the journals name, its scope is broad, ranging from cellular and molecular studies through systems neuroscience, cognition and disease. Invited reviews are also published; suggestions for and inquiries about potential reviews are welcomed.
With the appearance of the final issue of the 2011 subscription, Vol. 67/1-2 (24 June 2011), Brain Research Reviews has ceased publication as a distinct journal separate from Brain Research. Review articles accepted for Brain Research are now published in that journal.