Altered prefrontal cortex responses in older adults with subjective memory complaints and dementia during dual‐task gait : an fNIRS study
Year of publication
2021
Authors
Teo, Wei‐Peng; Rantalainen, Timo; Nuzum, Nathan; Valente, Leah; Macpherson, Helen
Abstract
People with cognitive impairments show deficits during physical performances such as gait, in particular during cognitively‐challenging conditions (i.e. dual‐task gait [DTG]). However it is unclear if people at risk of dementia, such as those with subjective memory complaints (SMC), also display gait and central deficits associated with DTG. In this study, we investigated the effects of single‐ and dual‐task gait (STG and DTG), on left prefrontal cortex (PFC) activation in elderly people with subjective memory complaints (SMC) and Dementia. 58 older adults (aged 65‐94 yrs; 26 Healthy; 23 SMC; 9 Dementia) were recruited. Gait spatiotemporal characteristics (i.e. stride velocity and length) were assessed using an instrumented walkway during STG and DTG. Single‐channel functional near‐infrared spectroscopy over the left PFC was used to measure changes in oxyhaemoglobin (O2Hb) during gait. Stride velocity and length during STG (all p<0.05) and DTG (all p<0.000) were significantly impaired in people with Dementia compared to Healthy and SMC individuals. No differences were observed between Healthy and SMC. For STG, a greater increase in O2Hb (p<0.05) was observed in those with Dementia compared to the Healthy and SMC, while no differences were observed between Healthy and SMC. A significant increase and decline in O2Hb was observed during DTG in the SMC and Dementia groups respectively, compared to Healthy. Our findings indicate an altered pattern of cerebral haemodynamic response of the left PFC in DTG in people with SMC and Dementia, which may suggest that central changes precede functional impairments in people with SMC.
Show moreOrganizations and authors
University of Jyväskylä
Rantalainen Timo
Publication type
Publication format
Article
Parent publication type
Journal
Article type
Original article
Audience
ScientificPeer-reviewed
Peer-ReviewedMINEDU's publication type classification code
A1 Journal article (refereed), original researchPublication channel information
Journal
Volume
53
Issue
4
Pages
1324-1333
ISSN
Publication forum
Publication forum level
1
Open access
Open access in the publisher’s service
No
Self-archived
Yes
Other information
Fields of science
Health care science
Keywords
[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object]
Publication country
United Kingdom
Internationality of the publisher
International
Language
English
International co-publication
Yes
Co-publication with a company
No
DOI
10.1111/ejn.14989
The publication is included in the Ministry of Education and Culture’s Publication data collection
Yes