title: Prefrontal cortex as a compensatory network in ataxic gait: a correlation study between cortical activity and gait parameters.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate whether prefrontal cortex (PFC) functioning during ataxic gait is linked to compensatory mechanisms or to the typical intra-subject variability of the ataxic gait.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nineteen patients with chronic ataxia and fifteen healthy subjects were evaluated. The subjects were requested to walk along a straight distance of 10 meters while PFC oxygenation and gait parameters were assessed. PFC activity was evaluated by NIRO-200 while gait analysis was performed by the SMART-D500. To investigate the intra-subject variability of gait, we calculated the coefficient of multiple correlation (CMC) of the hip, knee and ankle kinematic waveforms furthermore, we evaluated the step width.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We observed a positive correlation between PFC bilateral oxygenation changes and the step width (r = 0.54; p = 0.02 for the right PFC, and r = 0.50; p = 0.03 for the left PFC). No correlation was found between PFC activity and CMC of the hip, knee and ankle waveforms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that PFC activity is linked to gait compensatory mechanisms more than to the variability of the joint kinematic parameters caused by a defective cerebellar control.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neurology, Catholic University, L.go F. Vito, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Pietro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Caliandro
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies, University of Rome Polo Pontino, Corso della Repubblica, Latina, Italy.
authors.forename: Mariano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Serrao
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neurology, Catholic University, L.go F. Vito, Rome, Italy Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi Onlus, P.le R. Morandi, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Padua
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neurology, Catholic University, L.go F. Vito, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Gabriella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Silvestri
authors.affiliation: Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi Onlus, P.le R. Morandi, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Iacovelli
authors.affiliation: Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi Onlus, P.le R. Morandi, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Simbolotti
authors.affiliation: Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi Onlus, P.le R. Morandi, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mari
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neurology, Catholic University, L.go F. Vito, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Reale
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies, University of Rome Polo Pontino, Corso della Repubblica, Latina, Italy.
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Casali
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neurology, Catholic University, L.go F. Vito, Rome, Italy IRCSS S. Raffaele Pisana Roma, Via della Pisana, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Rossini
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D020234:Gait Ataxia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology*; D019265:Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D010100:Oxygen
keywords: NIRS; Prefrontal cortex; ataxia; balance; gait; near-infrared spectroscopy