Neural oscillations during motor imagery of complex gait: an HdEEG study.

Putzolu, Martina; Samogin, Jessica; Cosentino, Carola; Mezzarobba, Susanna; Bonassi, Gaia; Lagravinese, Giovanna; Vato, Alessandro; Mantini, Dante; Avanzino, Laura; Pelosin, Elisa

The aim of this study was to investigate differences between usual and complex gait motor imagery (MI) task in healthy subjects using high-density electroencephalography (hdEEG) with a MI protocol. We characterized the spatial distribution of α- and β-bands oscillations extracted from hdEEG signals recorded during MI of usual walking (UW) and walking by avoiding an obstacle (Dual-Task, DT). We applied a source localization algorithm to brain regions selected from a large cortical-subcortical network, and then we analyzed α and β bands Event-Related Desynchronizations (ERDs). Nineteen healthy subjects visually imagined walking on a path with (DT) and without (UW) obstacles. Results showed in both gait MI tasks, α- and β-band ERDs in a large cortical-subcortical network encompassing mostly frontal and parietal regions. In most of the regions, we found α- and β-band ERDs in the DT compared with the UW condition. Finally, in the β band, significant correlations emerged between ERDs and scores in imagery ability tests. Overall we detected MI gait-related α- and β-band oscillations in cortical and subcortical areas and significant differences between UW and DT MI conditions. A better understanding of gait neural correlates may lead to a better knowledge of pathophysiology of gait disturbances in neurological diseases.

MOTOR imagery (Cognition); OSCILLATIONS; ABILITY testing; TRAILS; NEUROLOGICAL disorders; MOVEMENT sequences

Scientific Reports, 2022, Vol 12, Issue 1, p1

2045-2322

Academic Journal

10.1038/s41598-022-07511-x