Neuromotor Rehabilitation Research Group, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Motor Control and Neuroplasticity Research Group, Department of Kinesiology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Sci Rep. 2023 Nov 10;13(1):19609. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-46645-4.
Mediolateral weight-shifting is an important aspect of postural control. As it is currently unknown whether a short training session of mediolateral weight-shifting in a virtual reality (VR) environment can improve weight-shifting, we investigated this question and also probed the impact of practice on brain activity. Forty healthy older adults were randomly allocated to a training (EXP, n = 20, age = 70.80 (65-77), 9 females) or a control group (CTR, n = 20, age = 71.65 (65-82), 10 females). The EXP performed a 25-min weight-shift training in a VR-game, whereas the CTR rested for the same period. Weight-shifting speed in both single- (ST) and dual-task (DT) conditions was determined before, directly after, and 24 h after intervention. Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) assessed the oxygenated hemoglobin (HbO) levels in five cortical regions of interest. Weight-shifting in both ST and DT conditions improved in EXP but not in CTR, and these gains were retained after 24 h. Effects transferred to wider limits of stability post-training in EXP versus CTR. HbO levels in the left supplementary motor area were significantly increased directly after training in EXP during ST (change < SEM), and in the left somatosensory cortex during DT (change > SEM). We interpret these changes in the motor coordination and sensorimotor integration areas of the cortex as possibly learning-related.
中外侧负重转移是姿势控制的一个重要方面。由于目前尚不清楚在虚拟现实 (VR) 环境中进行短暂的中外侧负重转移训练是否可以改善负重转移，我们对此进行了研究，并探讨了练习对大脑活动的影响。40 名健康的老年人被随机分配到训练组 (EXP，n = 20，年龄 = 70.80（65-77），女性 9 名）或对照组 (CTR，n = 20，年龄 = 71.65（65-82），女性 10 名）。EXP 在 VR 游戏中进行了 25 分钟的负重转移训练，而 CTR 在同一时间段内休息。在干预前、直接干预后和 24 小时后，分别在单任务 (ST) 和双重任务 (DT) 条件下测定负重转移速度。功能近红外光谱 (fNIRS) 评估了五个感兴趣的皮质区域的氧合血红蛋白 (HbO) 水平。在 EXP 中，无论是在 ST 还是在 DT 条件下，负重转移都得到了改善，但在 CTR 中没有改善，并且这些改善在 24 小时后仍然存在。与 CTR 相比，训练后 EXP 的稳定性范围更宽。在 EXP 中，直接在训练后，左运动辅助区的 HbO 水平在 ST 期间显著增加（变化 < SEM），在 DT 期间在左躯体感觉皮层中显著增加（变化 > SEM）。我们将这些大脑皮层运动协调和感觉运动整合区域的变化解释为可能与学习相关。
