Defective corticomuscular connectivity during walking in patients with Parkinson’s disease
Hikaru Yokoyama, Takashi Yoshida, Karl Zabjek, Robert Chen, Kei Masani
Abstract
Mechanisms behind how Parkinson's disease (PD) affects cortical control of muscles during walking remain unclear. As PD typically develops in the elderly, investigation of aging effects is important to examine deficits regarding PD. Here, we demonstrated that PD causes weak corticomuscular synchronization during walking, but aging does not. This lower-than-normal corticomuscular communication may cause impaired muscle control during walking.
Topics & Concepts
Parkinson's diseasePhysical medicine and rehabilitationPsychologyNeuroscienceDiseaseMedicineInternal medicineNeurological disorders and treatmentsTranscranial Magnetic Stimulation StudiesMuscle activation and electromyography studies