BACKGROUND: The difficulties in obstacle walking are significant in people with Parkinson's disease (PD) leading to an increased fall risk. Effective interventions to improve obstacle walking with possible training-related neuroplasticity changes are needed. We developed two different exercise programs, complex walking training and motor-cognitive training, both challenging motor and cognitive function for people with PD to improve obstacle walking.AIM: To investigate the effects of these two novel training programs on obstacle walking and brain activities in PD.DESIGN: A single-center randomized, single-blind controlled study.SETTING: University laboratory; outpatient.POPULATION: Individuals with idiopathic PD.METHODS: Thirty-two participants were randomly assigned to the complex walking training group (N.=11), motor-cognitive training group (N.=11) or control group (N.=10). Participants in training groups received exercises for 40 minutes/session, with a total of 12-session over 6 weeks. Control group did not receive additional training. Primary outcomes included obstacle walking, and brain activities (prefrontal cortex (PFC), premotor cortex (PMC), and supplementary motor area (SMA)) during obstacle walking by using functional near-infrared spectroscopy. Secondary outcomes included obstacle crossing, timed up and go test (TUG), cognitive function in different domains, and fall efficacy scale (FES-I).RESULTS: The motor-cognitive training group demonstrated greater improvements in obstacle walking speed and stride length, SMA activity, obstacle crossing velocity and stride length, digit span test, and TUG than the control group. The complex walking training did not show significant improvement in obstacle walking or change in brain activation compared with control group. However, the complex walking training resulted in greater improvements in Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure test, TUG and FES-I compared with the control group.CONCLUSIONS: Our 12-session of the cognitive-motor training improved obstacle walking performance with increased SMA activities in people with PD. However, the complex walking training did not lead such beneficial effects as the cognitive-motor training.CLINICAL REHABILITATION IMPACT: The cognitive-motor training is suggested as an effective rehabilitation program to improve obstacle walking ability in individuals with PD.
Abstract Background: Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a noninvasive brain stimulation to modulate cortical activity for improving motor function. However, the different tDCS applications for modulating cortical activity and dual task gait performance in chronic stroke have not yet been investigated. This study investigated the effects of different tDCS applications on dual task gait performance and contralesional M1 activation in chronic stroke. Methods: Forty-eight participants were randomized to anodal, bilateral, cathodal, and sham tDCS groups. Each group received 20 mins of tDCS stimulation, except the sham group. Gait performance was measured by GaitRite system during cognitive dual task (CDT) walking, motor dual task (MDT) walking, and single walking (SW). Contralesional M1 activity of unaffected tibialis anterior (TA) was measured using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Intragroup difference was analyzed by Wilconxon sign ranks test with Bonferroni correction, and Kruskal-Wallis one-way analysis of variance by ranks was used for intergroup comparisons, followed by post-hoc Mann-Whitney U tests with Bonferroni correction. Results: The bilateral tDCS (p=0.017) and cathodal tDCS (p=0.010) improved the CDT walking speed more than sham group. The bilateral tDCS (p=0.048) and cathodal tDCS(p=0.048) also improved the MDT walking speed more than sham group. Furthermore, bilateral tDCS (p=0.012) and cathodal tDCS (p=0.040) increased the silent period (SP) more than the anodal and sham group. Thus, one-session of bilateral and cathodal tDCS improved dual task walking performance paralleled with increasing contralesional corticomotor inhibition in chronic stroke. Conclusions: Our results indicate that one-session of bilateral and cathodal tDCS increased contralesional corticomotor inhibition and improved dual task gait performance in chronic stroke. Trial registration: Thai Clinical Trials Registry (TCTR20180116001). Registered on 16th Jan, 2018.
Objective: To explore the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation followed by treadmill training on dual-task gait performance and contralesional cortical activity in chronic stroke patients.Methods: Forty-five chronic stroke participants were randomized into 3 groups: a bilateral transcranial direct current stimulation and treadmill training group; a cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation and treadmill training group; and a sham transcranial direct current stimulation and treadmill training group for 50 min per session (20 min transcranial direct current stimulation followed by 30 min treadmill training), 3 sessions per week for 4 weeks. Outcome measures included cognitive dual-task walking, motor dual-task walking, walking performance, contralesional cortical activity, and lower-extremity motor control.Results: The cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation + treadmill training group showed significantly greater improvements in cognitive dual-task walking speed than the other groups (p cathodal vs sham = 0.006, p cathodal vs bilateral = 0.016). In the cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation + treadmill training group the silent period duration increased significantly more than in the other groups (p < 0.05). Changes in motor evoked potentials in the cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation + treadmill training group were greater than those in the sham transcranial direct current stimulation + treadmill training group (p < 0.05). No significant changes were observed in the bilateral transcranial direct current stimulation + treadmill training group.Conclusion: Cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation followed by treadmill training is an effective intervention for improving cognitive dual-task walking and modulating contralesional cortical activity in chronic stroke. No beneficial effects were observed after bilateral transcranial direct current stimulation and treadmill training.LAY ABSTRACTDual-task walking is essential for daily functioning, both at home and socially. This study explored the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation followed by treadmill training on dual-task gait performance and contralesional cortical activity in chronic stroke patients. A total of 45 chronic stroke patients were randomized to 1 of 3 groups: a bilateral transcranial direct current stimulation and treadmill training group, a cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation and treadmill training group, or a sham transcranial direct current stimulation and treadmill training group for 50 min per session, 3 sessions per week for 4 weeks. Cognitive dual-task walking, motor dual-task walking, walking performance, contralesional cortical activity, and lower-extremity motor control of the affected side were measured before and after the intervention. The results show that cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation followed by treadmill training is an effective intervention for improving cognitive dual-task walking and modulating contralesional cortical activityin individuals with chronic stroke.
Gait disturbances are exacerbated in people with Parkinson's disease (PD) during dual-task walking (DTW). Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has been shown to exert beneficial effects on gait performance and cortical excitability in PD; however, its combined effects with treadmill training (TT) remain undetermined.
Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive brain stimulation to modulate cortical activity for improving motor function. However, the information of tDCS stimulation on different brain regions for dual-task walking and cortical modulation in Parkinson's disease (PD) has not yet been compared.The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of different tDCS targets on dual-task gait performance and cortical activity in patients with PD.A total of 36 participants were randomly assigned to primary motor cortex (M1) tDCS, dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) tDCS, cerebellum tDCS, or Sham tDCS group. Each group received 20 min of tDCS stimulation, except for the Sham group. Gait performance was measured by the GAITRite system during dual-task walking and single walking. Corticomotor activity of the tibialis anterior (TA) was measured using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). The functional mobility was assessed using the timed up and go (TUG) test.All participants showed no significant differences in baseline data. Following the one session of tDCS intervention, M1 (p = 0.048), DLPFC (p < 0.001), and cerebellum (p = 0.001) tDCS groups demonstrated significant improvements in dual-task gait speed compared with a pretest. The time × group interaction [F(3, 32) = 5.125, p = 0.005] was detected in dual-task walking speed. The post hoc Tukey's test showed that the differences in gait speed were between the Sham tDCS group and the DLPFC tDCS group (p = 0.03). Moreover, DLPFC tDCS also increased the silent period (SP) more than M1 tDCS (p = 0.006) and Sham tDCS (p = 0.002).The results indicate that DLPFC tDCS exerted the most beneficial effects on dual-task walking and cortical modulation in participants with PD.[http://www.thaiclinicaltrials.org/show/TCTR20200909005], Thai Clinical Trials Registry [TCTR20200909005].
Abstract Background Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a noninvasive brain stimulation to modulate cortical activity for improving motor function. However, the different tDCS applications for modulating cortical activity and dual task gait performance in chronic stroke have not yet been investigated. This study investigated the effects of different tDCS applications on dual task gait performance and contralesional M1 activation in chronic stroke. Methods Forty-eight participants were randomized to anodal, bilateral, cathodal, and sham tDCS groups. Each group received 20 min of tDCS stimulation, except the sham group. Gait performance was measured by GaitRite system during cognitive dual task (CDT) walking, motor dual task (MDT) walking, and single walking (SW). Contralesional M1 activity of unaffected tibialis anterior (TA) was measured using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Intragroup difference was analyzed by Wilconxon sign ranks test with Bonferroni correction, and Kruskal–Wallis one-way analysis of variance by ranks was used for intergroup comparisons, followed by post-hoc Mann–Whitney U tests with Bonferroni correction. Results The bilateral tDCS ( p = 0.017) and cathodal tDCS ( p = 0.010) improved the CDT walking speed more than sham group. The bilateral tDCS ( p = 0.048) and cathodal tDCS ( p = 0.048) also improved the MDT walking speed more than sham group. Furthermore, bilateral tDCS ( p = 0.012) and cathodal tDCS ( p = 0.040) increased the silent period (SP) more than the anodal and sham group. Thus, one-session of bilateral and cathodal tDCS improved dual task walking performance paralleled with increasing contralesional corticomotor inhibition in chronic stroke. Conclusions Our results indicate that one-session of bilateral and cathodal tDCS increased contralesional corticomotor inhibition and improved dual task gait performance in chronic stroke. Trial registration Thai Clinical Trials Registry (TCTR20180116001). Registered prospectively on 16th Jan, 2018 at http://www.thaiclinicaltrials.org .