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Background: Growing evidence shows the cognitive function influences the motor performance. The prefrontal cortex (PFC) as a part of the executive locomotor pathway is also important for cognitive function. This study investigated the differences in motor function and brain activity among older adults with different cognitive levels, and examined the significance of cognition on motor functions.
Methods: Normal control (NC), individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or mild dementia (MD) were enrolled in this study. All participants received a comprehensive assessment including cognitive function, motor function, PFC activity during walking, and fear of fall. The assessment of cognitive function included general cognition, attention, executive function, memory, and visuo-spatial. The assessment of motor function included timed up and go (TUG) test, single walking (SW), and cognitive dual task walking (CDW).
Results: Individuals with MD had worse SW, CDW and TUG performance as compared to individuals with MCI and NC. These gait and balance performance did not differ significantly between MCI and NC. Motor functions all correlated with general cognition, attention, executive function, memory, and visuo-spatial ability. Attention ability measured by trail making test A (TMT-A) was the best predictor for TUG and gait velocity. There were no significant differences in PFC activity among three groups. Nevertheless, the PFC activated more during CDW as compared with SW in individuals with MCI ( = 0.000), which was not demonstrated in the other two groups.
Conclusion: MD demonstrated worse motor function as compared to NC and MCI. The greater PFC activity during CDW in MCI may be considered as a compensatory strategy for maintaining the gait performance. Motor function was related to the cognitive function, and the TMT A was the best predictor for the gait related performance in present study among older adults.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2023.1177082 | DOI Listing |
Stroke
September 2025
Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China (H.Z., K.H., Q.G.).
Background: Poststroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) affects 30% to 50% of stroke survivors, severely impacting functional outcomes and quality of life. This study uses functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to assess task-evoked brain activation and its potential for stratifying the severity in patients with PSCI.
Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted at Nanchong Central Hospital between June 2023 and April 2024.
Neurotrauma Rep
August 2025
Department of Radiology, Weill Cornell Medicine; New York, New York, USA.
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) impairs attention and executive function, often through disrupted coordination between cognitive and autonomic systems. While electroencephalography (EEG) and pupillometry are widely used to assess neural and autonomic responses independently, little is known about how these systems interact in TBI. Understanding their coordination is essential to identify compensatory mechanisms that may support attention under conditions of neural inefficiency.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFiScience
September 2025
Department of Neurosurgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
Goal-directed behavior requires adjusting cognitive control, both in preparation for and in reaction to conflict. Theta oscillations and population activity in dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) and dorsolateral PFC (dlPFC) are known to support reactive control. Here, we investigated their role in proactive control using human intracranial electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings during a Stroop task that manipulated conflict expectations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFront Hum Neurosci
August 2025
Baptist Medical Center, Department of Behavioral Health, Jacksonville, FL, United States.
Introduction: This study investigates four subdomains of executive functioning-initiation, cognitive inhibition, mental shifting, and working memory-using task-based functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data and graph analysis.
Methods: We used healthy adults' functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data to construct brain connectomes and network graphs for each task and analyzed global and node-level graph metrics.
Results: The bilateral precuneus and right medial prefrontal cortex emerged as pivotal hubs and influencers, emphasizing their crucial regulatory role in all four subdomains of executive function.
Front Psychol
August 2025
Department of Neurology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
Background: Cognitive impairment and psychological complaints are among the most common consequences for patients suffering from Post-Covid-19 condition (PCC). As there are limited training options available, this study examined a longitudinal tablet-based training program addressing cognitive and psychological symptoms.
Methods: Forty individuals aged between 36 and 71 years ( = 49.