Article

This study evaluated brain activity during unaccustomed treadmill walking using
positron emission tomography (PET) and [(18)F]fluorodeoxyglucose. Twenty-four
healthy elderly females (75-82 years) participated in this study. Two PET scans
were performed after 25 min of rest and after walking for 25 min at 2.0 km/h on a
treadmill. Participants were divided into low and high step-length variability
groups according to the median coefficient of variation in step length during
treadmill walking. We compared the regional changes in brain glucose metabolism
between the two groups. The most prominent relative activations during treadmill
walking compared to rest in both groups were found in the primary sensorimotor
areas, occipital lobe, and anterior and posterior lobe of the cerebellum. The
high step-length variability group showed significant relative deactivations in
the frontal lobe and the inferior temporal gyrus during treadmill walking. There
was a significant relative activation of the primary sensorimotor area in the low
step-length variability group compared to the high step-length variability group
(P = 0.022). Compared to the low step-length variability group, the high
step-length variability group exhibited a greater relative deactivation in the
white matter of the middle and superior temporal gyrus (P = 0.032) and
hippocampus (P = 0.034) during treadmill walking compared to resting. These
results suggest that activation of the primary sensorimotor area, prefrontal
area, and temporal lobe, especially the hippocampus, is associated with gait
adaptability during unaccustomed treadmill walking.
CI - Copyright (c) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS