Walking and Thinking - Brain Activity During Complex Walking in Stroke

Condition(s) studied

Investigational drug(s) / intervention(s)

No Interventions: This study includes assessment of brain activity with functional Near Infrared Spectrscopy (fNIRS) and behavioural assessments (motor, motor-cognitive and cognitive) during three complex walking conditions. Dual-task walking with the auditory stroop task. Navigational walking - a course consisting of a distribution of 45 and 90 degrees turns to the left and right Navigational and dual-task walking (condition 1 and 2 together)

Study summary

Everyday life requires individuals to function in complex environments and perform tasks that involve the integration of motor and cognitive abilities. However, stroke often leads to impairments in motor-cognitive interaction, which can negatively affect mobility, balance, attention, and the ability to live independently. Although motor-cognitive performance has been identified as an important rehabilitation target after stroke, limited knowledge exists regarding the underlying brain function associated with these difficulties and how rehabilitation and exercise interventions can best address them.

Improving treatment for motor-cognitive difficulties after stroke, such as dual-task walking and navigation, remains a major challenge. An important step is developing assessment methods that accurately capture these impairments in ecologically valid settings that reflect real-world mobility demands. The investigators therefore aim to explore brain function during complex walking after stroke by investigating motor-cognitive performance and its neural correlates during three walking conditions: dual-task walking, navigation, and a combination of both. Non-invasive measures of brain activity using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) together with advanced real-time gait analysis will be used to better understand how stroke affects motor-cognitive functioning during complex walking tasks.

Eligibility

Primary outcome measure(s)

• Functional near infrared spectrometry (fNIRS) — Baseline
  The measurement of changes in concentration of oxygenated hemoglobin (HbO) and deoxygenated hemoglobin (HHb) in the prefrontal cortex will be assessed using a NIRSPORT 2 (NIRx Medizintechnik, Berlin, Germany) device.
• Stride time during all conditions — Baseline
  Stride time will be analyzed with the APDM mobility system.
• Velocity during all conditions — Baseline
  Velocity will be analyzed with the APDM mobility system.
• Dual-task performance-reaction time — Baseline
  Cognitive performance of the dual task will be assessed as errors in the response to the Auditory stroop task.

Trial sites (1)

More Karolinska Institutet trials in Sweden

Other trials for the same condition