Brain Neurorehabil.  2015 Mar;8(1):39-45. 10.12786/bn.2015.8.1.39.

Cortical Activity Measured with EEG during Stepping on a Recumbent Stepper

• Seo HG
• Kim KD
• Oh BM
• Kim JS
• Chung CK

• KMID: 1788515
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.12786/bn.2015.8.1.39

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
Recent neuroimaging studies have shown a strong involvement of the cortex as well as brainstem locomotor center in locomotion. In the present study, cortical activity during constant stepping was investigated using electroencephalography (EEG). METHOD: Five healthy volunteers participated in this study. Sixty-four channel EEG was measured for 10 min while the participants performed constant stepping on a cadence of 100 rpm (50 cycles per 1 min) using a recumbent stepper. Surface electromyography (EMG) was also measured at the bilateral vastus medialis muscles. Each stepping cycle was epoched from the onset of EMG signal of the right vastus medialis muscle. Averaged event-related potentials (ERP) and event-related spectral perturbations (ERSP) of all subjects were calculated at all EEG channels.
RESULTS
Periodic change of ERP was centered on the CZ and FPZ electrodes. While ERP at the CZ started to increase at 200 and 800 ms, ERP at the FPZ started to increase at -50 and 600 ms. ERSP was remarkable at the CZ during stepping cycles. According to the stepping cycle, power increases were pronounced at low-gamma frequency band and also observed at beta band.
CONCLUSION
This study showed cortical activity during constant stepping using EEG in healthy participants. Periodic cortical activities were remarkable at the sensorimotor cortex area, and precedent activities were observed at the prefrontal area. EEG measurement during stepping on a recumbent stepper may be a valuable tool in investigating cortical activates related to walking in patients with gait disorders.

Keyword

electroencephalography; gait; locomotion

MeSH Terms

Brain Stem
Electrodes
Electroencephalography*
Electromyography
Evoked Potentials
Gait
Healthy Volunteers
Humans
Locomotion
Muscles
Neuroimaging
Quadriceps Muscle
Walking

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Experimental setup and location of EEG electrodes. A subject steps on a cadence of 100 rpm (50 cycles per 1 min) using a recumbent stepper. M1, M2, OB1, and OB2 electrodes are not shown in the figure.

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  Fig. 2 Averaged EMG activity at bilateral vastus medialis (VM) muscles during stepping cycles in a subject.

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  Fig. 3 Averaged ERPs of all subjects at whole EEG channels. Periodic change of ERP was centered on the CZ and FPZ electrodes.

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  Fig. 4 Averaged ERPs of all subjects at midline EEG channels.

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  Fig. 5 Averaged ERSPs of all subjects at whole EEG channels. Lower two time-frequency plots show ERSPs at the FPZ and CZ. Power increases are pronounced at low-gamma frequency band and also observed at beta band at the CZ.

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