From resting-state to movement: The role of cortical networks in parkinsonian gait.

Background: Gait impairments in Parkinson's disease (PD) arise from disruptions in automatic motor control, requiring compensatory engagement of cortical networks. This study compared resting-state functional connectivity in specific cortical regions (frontal, central, parietal, occipital, and temporal) between people with PD and healthy individuals and explored its potential association with multidimensional gait domains.

Methods: Twenty individuals with PD and 19 healthy controls participated.

There Are No Differences in Startle Conditioned Cervicomedullary Motor Evoked Potentials Across Isometric, Concentric, and Eccentric Muscle Actions at the Same Absolute Force Output.

Human movement involves a dynamic interplay of isometric, concentric, and eccentric muscle actions. There is a need to understand the contribution of the reticulospinal tract (RST) to human movement control during different muscle actions. This research aimed to determine the excitability of the RST during isometric, concentric, and eccentric muscle actions.

Effects of Internal and External Cues on Brain Activity and Gait in Parkinson's Disease: Findings From BARC-PD.

BackgroundInternal and external cueing strategies are often applied to alleviate gait deficits in Parkinson's disease (PD). However, it remains unclear which type of cueing strategy is most effective at different disease stages. The underlying neural mechanisms of response to cueing are also unknown.

Resting-state Alpha Reactivity Is Reduced in Parkinson's Disease and Associated With Gait Variability.

BackgroundThe extent to which the cholinergic system contributes to gait impairments in Parkinson's disease (PD) remains unclear. Electroencephalography (EEG) alpha reactivity, which refers to change in alpha power over occipital electrodes upon opening the eyes, has been suggested as a marker of cholinergic function. We compared alpha reactivity between people with PD and healthy individuals and explored its potential association with gait measures.

Aerobic exercise acutely increases EEG gamma power in the motor/sensorimotor areas during walking in people with Parkinson's disease.

Objective: This study investigated the effects of acute aerobic exercise on gait function and cortical activity during single and dual-task walking in people with Parkinson's disease (PwPD).

Methods: Thirty PwPD were randomly assigned to the Experimental (EG) and Control Group (CG). Both groups completed a single 40-minute session of cycling.

Neuroimaging and cognitive correlates of postural control in Parkinson's disease: a systematic review.

Parkinson's disease (PD) can cause postural instability, which may result in falls. These issues have been associated with motor and non-motor symptoms (NMS), including cognitive dysfunction. Several techniques have been employed to investigate the underlying neural mechanisms involved in postural control in PD.

Digital measurement of ocular microtremor in Parkinson's disease: Protocol for a pilot study to assess reliability and clinical validation.

Ocular microtremor (OMT) is a fixational eye movement that cannot be seen with the naked eye but is always present, even when the eye appears motionless/still. The link between OMT and brain function provides a strong rationale for investigation as there lies potential for its use as a biomarker in populations with neurological impairments. OMT frequency is typically 70-80Hz in healthy adults and research suggests that this will be reduced in those with neurological disease such as Parkinson's Disease (PD).

The feasibility of a visuo-cognitive training intervention using a mobile application and exercise with stroboscopic glasses in Parkinson's: Findings from a pilot randomised controlled trial.

Background: There is currently no pharmacological treatment for visuo-cognitive impairments in Parkinson's disease. Alternative strategies are needed to address these non-motor symptoms given their impact on quality of life. Novel technologies have potential to deliver multimodal rehabilitation of visuo-cognitive dysfunction, but more research is required to determine their feasibility in Parkinson's.

Hemodynamics of the Frontopolar and Dorsolateral Pre-Frontal Cortex in People with Multiple Sclerosis During Walking, Cognitive Subtraction, and Cognitive-Motor Dual-Task.

Introduction: Higher cortical activity has been observed in people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS) during walking and dual-tasking. However, further studies in overground walking and considering pre-frontal cortex (PFC) sub-areas are necessary.

Objectives: To investigate PFC activity during a cognitive-motor dual-task (DT) and its single component tasks, in combination with behavioral outcomes in pwMS.

Eight sessions of transcranial electrical stimulation for postural response in people with Parkinson's disease: A randomized trial.

Background: Impairments in postural responses to perturbation are common in people with Parkinson's disease (PwPD) and lack effective treatment. We recently showed that a single session of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) promotes acute improvement of postural response to perturbation in PwPD. However, the effects of multiple tDCS sessions remain unclear.

The Time Course of Changes in Prefrontal Cortex Activity During Walking in People With Parkinson's Disease.

Background: Walking abnormalities in people with Parkinson's disease (PD) are characterized by a shift in locomotor control from healthy automaticity to compensatory, executive control, mainly located in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Although PFC activity during walking increases in people with PD, the time course of PFC activity during walking and its relationship to clinical or gait characteristics is unknown.

Objective: To identify the time course of PFC activity during walking in people with PD.

iVOMS: Instrumented Vestibular / Ocular motor screen in healthy controls and mild traumatic brain injury.

Objective Vestibular/ocular deficits occur with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). The vestibular/ocular motor screening (VOMS) tool is used to assess individuals post-mTBI, which primarily relies upon subjective self-reported symptoms. Instrumenting the VOMS (iVOMS) with technology may allow for more objective assessment post-mTBI, which reflects actual task performance.

Prefrontal Cortex Activity During Gait in People With Persistent Symptoms After Concussion.

Background: Concussions result in transient symptoms stemming from a cortical metabolic energy crisis. Though this metabolic energy crisis typically resolves in a month, symptoms can persist for years. The symptomatic period is associated with gait dysfunction, the cortical underpinnings of which are poorly understood.

Cerebral and muscle tissue oxygenation during exercise in healthy adults: A systematic review.

Background: Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) technology has allowed for the measurement of cerebral and skeletal muscle oxygenation simultaneously during exercise. Since this technology has been growing and is now successfully used in laboratory and sports settings, this systematic review aimed to synthesize the evidence and enhance an integrative understanding of blood flow adjustments and oxygen (O) changes (i.e.

Mobility Rehab visual feedback system for gait rehabilitation in older adults.

Background: Gait and balance impairments are among the main causes of falls in older adults. The feasibility and effectiveness of adding sensor-based feedback to physical therapy (PT) in an outpatient PT setting is unknown. We evaluated the feasibility and effectiveness of PT intervention combined with a therapist-assisted visual feedback system, called Mobility Rehab, (PT + MR) in older adults.

Visual Exploration While Walking With and Without Visual Cues in Parkinson's Disease: Freezer Versus Non-Freezer.

Background: Visual cues can improve gait in Parkinson's disease (PD), including those experiencing freezing of gait (FOG). However, responses are variable and underpinning mechanisms remain unclear. Visuo-cognitive processing (measured through visual exploration) has been implicated in cue response, but this has not been comprehensively examined.

Ocular microtremor: a structured review.

Ocular microtremor (OMT) is the smallest of three involuntary fixational micro eye movements, which has led to it being under researched in comparison. The link between OMT and brain function generates a strong rationale for further study as there is potential for its use as a biomarker in populations with neurological injury and disease. This structured review focused on populations previously studied, instrumentation used for measurement, commonly reported OMT outcomes, and recommendations concerning protocol design and future studies.

Stroboscopic visual training: The potential for clinical application in neurological populations.

Visual problems are common in people who have neurological injury or disease, with deficits linked to postural control and gait impairment. Vision therapy could be a useful intervention for visual impairment in various neurological conditions such as stroke, head injury, or Parkinson's disease. Stroboscopic visual training (SVT) has been shown to improve aspects of visuomotor and cognitive performance in healthy populations, but approaches vary with respect to testing protocols, populations, and outcomes.

Faster Walking Speeds Require Greater Activity from the Primary Motor Cortex in Older Adults Compared to Younger Adults.

Gait speed declines with age and slower walking speeds are associated with poor health outcomes. Understanding why we do not walk faster as we age, despite being able to, has implications for rehabilitation. Changes in regional oxygenated haemoglobin (HbO2) across the frontal lobe were monitored using functional near infrared spectroscopy in 17 young and 18 older adults while they walked on a treadmill for 5 min, alternating between 30 s of walking at a preferred and fast (120% preferred) speed.

Transcranial direct current stimulation suggests not improving postural control during adapted tandem position in people with Parkinson's disease: A pilot study.

Background: Balance impairments in people with Parkinson's disease (PD) demonstrated mainly in challenging postural tasks, such as increased body oscillation may be attributed to the deficits in the brain structures functionality involved in postural control (e.g., motor cortex, midbrain, and brainstem).

Electrocortical Dynamics of Usual Walking and the Planning to Step over Obstacles in Parkinson's Disease.

The neural correlates of locomotion impairments observed in people with Parkinson's disease (PD) are not fully understood. We investigated whether people with PD present distinct brain electrocortical activity during usual walking and the approach phase of obstacle avoidance when compared to healthy individuals. Fifteen people with PD and fourteen older adults walked overground in two conditions: usual walking and obstacle crossing.

Combination of Clinical and Gait Measures to Classify Fallers and Non-Fallers in Parkinson's Disease.

Unlabelled: Although the multifactorial nature of falls in Parkinson's disease (PD) is well described, optimal assessment for the identification of fallers remains unclear. Thus, we aimed to identify clinical and objective gait measures that best discriminate fallers from non-fallers in PD, with suggestions of optimal cutoff scores.

Methods: Individuals with mild-to-moderate PD were classified as fallers (n = 31) or non-fallers (n = 96) based on the previous 12 months' falls.

The integration of technology into a home-based visuo-cognitive training intervention for people with Parkinson's: Is the future digital?

Background: Mobile applications and technology (e.g., stroboscopic glasses) are increasingly being used to deliver combined visual and cognitive (termed visuo-cognitive) training that replaces standard pen and paper-based interventions.