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Cortical activation during imagined walking for people with lower limb loss: a pilot study

Each year in Canada, a substantial number of adults undergo limb amputation, with lower limb amputation (LLA) the most prevalent. Enhancing walking ability is crucial for optimizing rehabilitation outcomes, promoting participation, and facilitating community reintegration. Overcoming challenges duri...

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Autores principales: Hunter, Susan W., Motala, Aysha, Cronin, Alicia E., Bartha, Robert, Viana, Ricardo, Payne, Michael W.
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: Frontiers Media S.A. 2023
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10354232/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/37476004
http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2023.1163526
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author Hunter, Susan W.
Motala, Aysha
Cronin, Alicia E.
Bartha, Robert
Viana, Ricardo
Payne, Michael W.
author_facet Hunter, Susan W.
Motala, Aysha
Cronin, Alicia E.
Bartha, Robert
Viana, Ricardo
Payne, Michael W.
author_sort Hunter, Susan W.
collection PubMed
description Each year in Canada, a substantial number of adults undergo limb amputation, with lower limb amputation (LLA) the most prevalent. Enhancing walking ability is crucial for optimizing rehabilitation outcomes, promoting participation, and facilitating community reintegration. Overcoming challenges during the acute post-amputation phase and sub-acute rehabilitation necessitates alternative approaches, such as motor imagery and mental practice, to maximize rehabilitation success. However, the current evidence on activation patterns using motor imagery in individuals with LLA is limited. The primary objective was to assess the feasibility of observing brain activation during imagined walking in individuals with LLA utilizing 3T functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Eight individuals with LLA and 11 control subjects participated. Consistent with representations of the lower limbs, both control and amputee groups demonstrated bilateral activation in the medial surface of the primary motor and somatosensory cortices. However, individuals with lower limb amputations exhibited significantly greater activation during imagined walking, particularly in frontal regions and the medial surface of the primary motor and supplementary motor cortices. Furthermore, the volume of activation in the bilateral primary motor cortices was higher for participants with amputations compared to controls. The protocol developed in this study establishes a foundation for evaluating the effects of a gait training program that incorporates mental imagery alongside conventional rehabilitation practices, in contrast to standard care alone. This pilot investigation holds potential to enhance our understanding of brain plasticity in individuals with LLA and pave the way for more effective rehabilitation strategies to optimize functional recovery and community reintegration.
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spelling pubmed-103542322023-07-20 Cortical activation during imagined walking for people with lower limb loss: a pilot study Hunter, Susan W. Motala, Aysha Cronin, Alicia E. Bartha, Robert Viana, Ricardo Payne, Michael W. Front Hum Neurosci Neuroscience Each year in Canada, a substantial number of adults undergo limb amputation, with lower limb amputation (LLA) the most prevalent. Enhancing walking ability is crucial for optimizing rehabilitation outcomes, promoting participation, and facilitating community reintegration. Overcoming challenges during the acute post-amputation phase and sub-acute rehabilitation necessitates alternative approaches, such as motor imagery and mental practice, to maximize rehabilitation success. However, the current evidence on activation patterns using motor imagery in individuals with LLA is limited. The primary objective was to assess the feasibility of observing brain activation during imagined walking in individuals with LLA utilizing 3T functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Eight individuals with LLA and 11 control subjects participated. Consistent with representations of the lower limbs, both control and amputee groups demonstrated bilateral activation in the medial surface of the primary motor and somatosensory cortices. However, individuals with lower limb amputations exhibited significantly greater activation during imagined walking, particularly in frontal regions and the medial surface of the primary motor and supplementary motor cortices. Furthermore, the volume of activation in the bilateral primary motor cortices was higher for participants with amputations compared to controls. The protocol developed in this study establishes a foundation for evaluating the effects of a gait training program that incorporates mental imagery alongside conventional rehabilitation practices, in contrast to standard care alone. This pilot investigation holds potential to enhance our understanding of brain plasticity in individuals with LLA and pave the way for more effective rehabilitation strategies to optimize functional recovery and community reintegration. Frontiers Media S.A. 2023-07-05 /pmc/articles/PMC10354232/ /pubmed/37476004 http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2023.1163526 Text en Copyright © 2023 Hunter, Motala, Cronin, Bartha, Viana and Payne. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
spellingShingle Neuroscience
Hunter, Susan W.
Motala, Aysha
Cronin, Alicia E.
Bartha, Robert
Viana, Ricardo
Payne, Michael W.
Cortical activation during imagined walking for people with lower limb loss: a pilot study
title Cortical activation during imagined walking for people with lower limb loss: a pilot study
title_full Cortical activation during imagined walking for people with lower limb loss: a pilot study
title_fullStr Cortical activation during imagined walking for people with lower limb loss: a pilot study
title_full_unstemmed Cortical activation during imagined walking for people with lower limb loss: a pilot study
title_short Cortical activation during imagined walking for people with lower limb loss: a pilot study
title_sort cortical activation during imagined walking for people with lower limb loss: a pilot study
topic Neuroscience
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10354232/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/37476004
http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2023.1163526
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