Dependance of supraspinal locomotor control on speed and gait pattern – an fMRI study

Introduction: During locomotion the integration of sensory input and brain activity pattern differs between walking and running. To address the question if velocity (fast vs. slow) or gait pattern (running vs. walking) determines locomotor control, we investigated brain activation patterns in a factorial design during mental imagery of locomotion in fMRI. Methods: 27 healthy subjects (mean age 30.3 years; 15 females) performed a locomotion training of the following five conditions: walk slow, walk fast, run slow, run fast, standing. Subjects had to imagine these conditions inside the scanner. Image processing an…