Midfrontal oscillatory alterations during gait imagination and observation in Parkinson's disease with freezing of gait.
Midfrontal oscillatory alterations during gait imagination and observation in Parkinson's disease with freezing of gait.
Where did the research take place?
The study site has not been established. Author addresses may differ from where the research occurred.
US · Author affiliation · country only
Biomedical and Translational Sciences, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD, USA; Department of Physical Therapy, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD, USA.Location evidence
Iowa City, US · Author affiliation
Department of Neurology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.Location evidence
Oregon, US · Author affiliation
Department of Neurology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA.Location evidence
Sioux Falls, US · Author affiliation
Biomedical and Translational Sciences, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Sioux Falls, SD, USA. Electronic address: arun.singh@usd.edu.Location evidence
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Original abstract
Freezing of gait (FOG) is a disabling motor symptom in Parkinson's disease (PD), linked to impaired motor automaticity and cognitive control. Cognitive strategies like motor imagery (gait imagination, GI) and action observation (gait observation, GO) are used in rehabilitation, but their neural mechanisms are not well understood. This study used EEG to examine midfrontal oscillations during GI and GO in healthy controls (HC, n = 21), PD without FOG (PDFOG-, n = 16), and PD with FOG (PDFOG+, n = 34), with resting-state EEG (eyes-closed and eyes-open) as baseline. During GI, both PD groups showed increased midfrontal theta power compared to HC, while during GO this increase appeared only in PDFOG-. Differences in midfrontal beta oscillations distinguished the two PD subgroups across all conditions. Specifically, the PDFOG- group displayed higher power across alpha and beta frequency bands during GO compared to both HC and PDFOG+. In the GI task, PDFOG+ was characterized by significantly reduced beta power compared to the PDFOG- group. Slowing the pace of GI in PDFOG+ led to a significant reduction in delta activity, while slowing the pace of GO resulted in significant reductions in both delta and theta power; these frequency-shifts were descriptively closer to oscillatory patterns observed in healthy controls. These findings suggest GI and GO involve overlapping but distinct neural mechanisms. Slower pacing may reduce cognitive-motor load and promote compensatory midfrontal activity. Identifying these oscillatory patterns improves understanding of gait dysfunction and supports refining GI and GO as targeted rehabilitation strategies for people with PD and FOG.