Start Date
17-6-2025 12:30 PM
End Date
17-6-2025 2:00 PM
Abstract
Introduction People post-stroke often experience difficulty in walking, which is compounded when navigating challenging surfaces, such as sandy beach or grassy fields. However, limited research has studied how the brain reacts when they walk and navigate such surfaces. The purpose of this study was to investigate brain activity in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) during walking on soft uneven surface among individuals post-stroke.
Methodology Nine individuals post-stroke and ten age-matched controls participated in this cross-sectional study. Participants completed two trials of 20-second walking on two surfaces: a firm, even surface (laminated hallway floor) and a soft, uneven surface (memory-form mattress with irregular bumps), in random order. Walking speeds were recorded, and hemodynamic activities in PFC were measured using a functional near-infrared spectroscopy. Cortical hemodynamics in Specific regions of interest, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), and frontopolar area (FPA) were analyzed and compared.
ResultsThe stroke group walked significantly slower on the soft uneven surface as compared to the firm surface (p
Conclusions Challenging surfaces increase brain activity in people post-stroke, indicating higher cognitive demand for locomotive adaptation. Our findings provide a scientific understanding of how different walking surfaces affect the neural mechanisms for locomotive adaptations for people post-stroke.
References Chatterjee, S. A., Seidler, R. D., Skinner, J. W., Lysne, P. E., Sumonthee, C., Wu, S. S., Cohen, R. A., Rose, D. K., Woods, A. J., & Clark, D. J. (2020). Obstacle negotiation in older adults: prefrontal activation interpreted through conceptual models of brain aging. Innovation in Aging, 4(4), igaa034–igaa034. https://doi.org/10.1093/geroni/igaa034
Hawkins, K. A., Fox, E. J., Daly, J. J., Rose, D. K., Christou, E. A., McGuirk, T. E., Otzel, D. M., Butera, K. A., Chatterjee, S. A., & Clark, D. J. (2018). Prefrontal over-activation during walking in people with mobility deficits: Interpretation and functional implications. Human Movement Science, 59, 46–55. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.humov.2018.03.010
Recommended Citation
Lee, Jongmin; Todd, Kiara; Narasaki-Jara, Mai; Jung, Youngok; Meza, Brenda; and Jung, Taeyou, "Analysis of Brain Activity during Walking on Soft Uneven Surface among Individuals Post-Stroke" (2025). International Symposium of Adapted Physical Activity and International Symposium on Physical Activity and Visual Impairment and Deafblindness. 32.
https://sword.cit.ie/isapa/2025/day2/32
Analysis of Brain Activity during Walking on Soft Uneven Surface among Individuals Post-Stroke
Introduction People post-stroke often experience difficulty in walking, which is compounded when navigating challenging surfaces, such as sandy beach or grassy fields. However, limited research has studied how the brain reacts when they walk and navigate such surfaces. The purpose of this study was to investigate brain activity in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) during walking on soft uneven surface among individuals post-stroke.
Methodology Nine individuals post-stroke and ten age-matched controls participated in this cross-sectional study. Participants completed two trials of 20-second walking on two surfaces: a firm, even surface (laminated hallway floor) and a soft, uneven surface (memory-form mattress with irregular bumps), in random order. Walking speeds were recorded, and hemodynamic activities in PFC were measured using a functional near-infrared spectroscopy. Cortical hemodynamics in Specific regions of interest, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), and frontopolar area (FPA) were analyzed and compared.
ResultsThe stroke group walked significantly slower on the soft uneven surface as compared to the firm surface (p
Conclusions Challenging surfaces increase brain activity in people post-stroke, indicating higher cognitive demand for locomotive adaptation. Our findings provide a scientific understanding of how different walking surfaces affect the neural mechanisms for locomotive adaptations for people post-stroke.
References Chatterjee, S. A., Seidler, R. D., Skinner, J. W., Lysne, P. E., Sumonthee, C., Wu, S. S., Cohen, R. A., Rose, D. K., Woods, A. J., & Clark, D. J. (2020). Obstacle negotiation in older adults: prefrontal activation interpreted through conceptual models of brain aging. Innovation in Aging, 4(4), igaa034–igaa034. https://doi.org/10.1093/geroni/igaa034
Hawkins, K. A., Fox, E. J., Daly, J. J., Rose, D. K., Christou, E. A., McGuirk, T. E., Otzel, D. M., Butera, K. A., Chatterjee, S. A., & Clark, D. J. (2018). Prefrontal over-activation during walking in people with mobility deficits: Interpretation and functional implications. Human Movement Science, 59, 46–55. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.humov.2018.03.010