Category: Measurement; Neurodegenerative Disease (e.g. MS, Parkinson's disease); Clinical Practice (assessment, diagnosis, treatment, knowledge translation/EBP, implementation science, program development)
Objective
People suffering from inflammatory diseases with neurodegenerative component such as Multiple Sclerosis (MS) often experience disabling gait deficits. Changes in gait pattern but not the compensatory cognitive processes during walking are yet investigated. This study applies functional-near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) while walking in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) in pwMS with the aim to check the test-retest reliability (TRR).
Design
A test-retest design applying fNIRS while walking on a 12m track over 12:30 minutes was applied.
Setting
The study was conducted at the MEDIAN Rehabilitation Center in Flechtingen (Germany).
Participants
15 pwMS (13 female/2 male) aged 42.9 ± 11.8 with an Expanded Disability Status Scale of 2.1 ± 1.0 and diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS were included.
Interventions
Not applicable.
Main Outcome Measure(s)
The primary outcome is the oxy-hemoglobin concentration (HbO) of the dorsolateral PFC (r (right)/l (left)/m (medial) DLPFC; Brodmann area (BA9&46)) and the frontopolar prefrontal cortex (r/l/mFPPFC; BA10). The Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC (3,1)) of the mean amplitude (M) and the slope coefficient (SC) as well as the Bland and Altmann (B&A) with the Limits of Agreement (LoAs) for the HbO were calculated.
Results
We found a fair TRR regarding M in lDLPFC (BA46) (ICC=0.422) and a good TRR regarding SC in l/mFPPFC (ICC=0.715/0.655). The B&A shows a bias close to zero (better in SC than M), but the LoAs are relatively wide.
Conclusion
Our results show that the TRR is limited. The TRR is slightly better for SC in comparison to M, especially in the l/mFPPFC.
Key words
gait, MS, functional near-infrared spectroscopy, prefrontal cortex
Lutz Schega
– Head of Department, Department Health and Physical Activity at Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Sachsen-AnhaltDennis Hamacher
– Research Fellow, Department of Health and Physical Activity at Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Sachsen-AnhaltMichael Sailer
– Head of the Institute for Neurorehabilitation, Institute for Neurorehabilitation affiliated to the University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Sachsen-AnhaltKim-Charlin Broscheid
– Research Assistent, Department Health and Physical Activity at Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Sachsen-Anhalt