Using a portable device, researchers have identified differences in brain activation patterns associated with postural stability in people with Parkinsonian syndromes and healthy adults. The findings describe the critical role of the prefrontal cortex in balance control and may have implications with respect to detecting and treating Parkinsonian symptoms in the elderly.
The BioOptics World take on this story:
A newly developed portable device that employs functional near-infrared (fNIR) spectroscopy (a light-based technique to monitor changes in blood oxygenation in the brain) can identify differences in brain activation patterns associated with postural stability in people with Parkinson's disease and healthy adults. The development allows scientists to better understand the role of the brain's prefrontal cortex during standing and walking.
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