1. Dual-task gait training improves cognition and resting-state functional connectivity in Parkinson's disease with postural instability and gait disorders.
- Author
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Leocadi, Michela, Canu, Elisa, Sarasso, Elisabetta, Gardoni, Andrea, Basaia, Silvia, Calderaro, Davide, Castelnovo, Veronica, Volontè, Maria Antonietta, Filippi, Massimo, and Agosta, Federica
- Subjects
PARKINSON'S disease ,GAIT disorders ,FUNCTIONAL connectivity ,DEFAULT mode network ,EXECUTIVE function - Abstract
Objectives: To assess whether dual-task gait/balance training with action observation training (AOT) and motor imagery (MI) ameliorates cognitive performance and resting-state (RS) brain functional connectivity (FC) in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients with postural instability and gait disorders (PIGD). Methods: 21 PD-PIGD patients were randomized into 2 groups: (1) DUAL-TASK + AOT-MI group performed a 6-week training consisting of AOT-MI combined with practicing observed-imagined gait and balance exercises; and (2) DUAL-TASK group performed the same exercises combined with landscape-videos observation. At baseline and after training, all patients underwent a computerized cognitive assessment, while 17 patients had also RS-fMRI scans. Cognitive and RS-FC changes (and their relationships) over time within and between groups were assessed. Results: After training, all PD-PIGD patients improved accuracy in a test assessing executive–attentive (mainly dual-task) skills. DUAL-TASK + AOT-MI patients showed increased RS-FC within the anterior salience network (aSAL), and reduced RS-FC within the anterior default mode network (aDMN), right executive control network and precuneus network. DUAL-TASK patients showed increased RS-FC within the visuospatial network, only. Group × Time interaction showed that, compared to DUAL-TASK group, DUAL-TASK + AOT-MI cases had reduced RS-FC within the aDMN, which correlated with higher accuracy in a dual-task executive–attentive test. Conclusions: In PD-PIGD patients, both trainings promote cognitive improvement and brain functional reorganization. DUAL-TASK + AOT-MI training induced specific functional reorganization changes of extra-motor brain networks, which were related with improvement in dual-task performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...
- Published
- 2024
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