Neurophysiological underpinnings of balance control and cognitive-motor interaction in early Parkinson’s disease
Abstract People with Parkinson’s Disease (PD) often compensate for impaired automatic balance control by engaging additional attentional resources for motor tasks. With disease progression, their cognitive system too becomes increasingly affected, further impairing postural stability. The interactio...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2025-07-01
|
| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-06777-1 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849333363640369152 |
|---|---|
| author | Manca Peskar Paolo Manganotti Uros Marusic Klaus Gramann |
| author_facet | Manca Peskar Paolo Manganotti Uros Marusic Klaus Gramann |
| author_sort | Manca Peskar |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract People with Parkinson’s Disease (PD) often compensate for impaired automatic balance control by engaging additional attentional resources for motor tasks. With disease progression, their cognitive system too becomes increasingly affected, further impairing postural stability. The interaction between cognitive and motor systems in the early disease stages, however, remains poorly investigated. The present study aimed to elucidate behavioral and neurophysiological changes in early-stage PD to identify with greater accuracy the specific disease-related discrepancies from healthy functioning on both cognitive and motor systems. Eighteen participants with PD (aged 62.9 ± 6.6 years) and 18 healthy matched controls (aged 62.9 ± 6.4 years) performed (i) a balancing single task in a semi-tandem stance (ST-sts), (ii) a single visual oddball task with conflicting Stroop color-word stimuli (ST-Stroop), and (iii) a dual-task (DT) combining the two single tasks. Centre of pressure displacement using a force plate and 128-channel electroencephalography (EEG) were recorded. Participants with PD exhibited reduced postural sway compared to controls, and postural sway was lower in DT as opposed to ST. Reduced sway in PD might be attributed to postural rigidity and tonic muscle activation, while in the DT, it might reflect resource conflicts. EEG analyses indicated distinct spectral activity patterns: the central midline low-frequency (δ, θ) power increased with cognitive load, centroparietal β desynchronization intensified with motor load, and parietal α desynchronization heightened during DT in both PD and control groups, underscoring specific frequency bands’ governing roles in cognitive-motor processing. Furthermore, PD participants exhibited heightened or prolonged responses in ERP components related to working memory (frontocentral P2) and conflict resolution (P300), possibly reflecting compensatory neural strategies. Overall, these findings suggest that cognitive capacities, particularly selective attention, might be more affected than sensory acuity in early PD, highlighting areas for targeted interventions. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-cfa57a7081594d57b51b0e5187dd74f5 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj-art-cfa57a7081594d57b51b0e5187dd74f52025-08-20T03:45:53ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-07-0115111410.1038/s41598-025-06777-1Neurophysiological underpinnings of balance control and cognitive-motor interaction in early Parkinson’s diseaseManca Peskar0Paolo Manganotti1Uros Marusic2Klaus Gramann3Institute for Kinesiology Research, Science and Research Centre KoperDepartment of Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences, Neurology Unit, Cattinara University Hospital, University of TriesteInstitute for Kinesiology Research, Science and Research Centre KoperBiological Psychology and Neuroergonomics, Department of Psychology and Ergonomics, Faculty V: Mechanical Engineering and Transport Systems, Technische Universität BerlinAbstract People with Parkinson’s Disease (PD) often compensate for impaired automatic balance control by engaging additional attentional resources for motor tasks. With disease progression, their cognitive system too becomes increasingly affected, further impairing postural stability. The interaction between cognitive and motor systems in the early disease stages, however, remains poorly investigated. The present study aimed to elucidate behavioral and neurophysiological changes in early-stage PD to identify with greater accuracy the specific disease-related discrepancies from healthy functioning on both cognitive and motor systems. Eighteen participants with PD (aged 62.9 ± 6.6 years) and 18 healthy matched controls (aged 62.9 ± 6.4 years) performed (i) a balancing single task in a semi-tandem stance (ST-sts), (ii) a single visual oddball task with conflicting Stroop color-word stimuli (ST-Stroop), and (iii) a dual-task (DT) combining the two single tasks. Centre of pressure displacement using a force plate and 128-channel electroencephalography (EEG) were recorded. Participants with PD exhibited reduced postural sway compared to controls, and postural sway was lower in DT as opposed to ST. Reduced sway in PD might be attributed to postural rigidity and tonic muscle activation, while in the DT, it might reflect resource conflicts. EEG analyses indicated distinct spectral activity patterns: the central midline low-frequency (δ, θ) power increased with cognitive load, centroparietal β desynchronization intensified with motor load, and parietal α desynchronization heightened during DT in both PD and control groups, underscoring specific frequency bands’ governing roles in cognitive-motor processing. Furthermore, PD participants exhibited heightened or prolonged responses in ERP components related to working memory (frontocentral P2) and conflict resolution (P300), possibly reflecting compensatory neural strategies. Overall, these findings suggest that cognitive capacities, particularly selective attention, might be more affected than sensory acuity in early PD, highlighting areas for targeted interventions.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-06777-1EEGSemi-tandem stanceCOP (center of pressure)Parkinson’s DiseaseCognitive-motor dual-tasking |
| spellingShingle | Manca Peskar Paolo Manganotti Uros Marusic Klaus Gramann Neurophysiological underpinnings of balance control and cognitive-motor interaction in early Parkinson’s disease Scientific Reports EEG Semi-tandem stance COP (center of pressure) Parkinson’s Disease Cognitive-motor dual-tasking |
| title | Neurophysiological underpinnings of balance control and cognitive-motor interaction in early Parkinson’s disease |
| title_full | Neurophysiological underpinnings of balance control and cognitive-motor interaction in early Parkinson’s disease |
| title_fullStr | Neurophysiological underpinnings of balance control and cognitive-motor interaction in early Parkinson’s disease |
| title_full_unstemmed | Neurophysiological underpinnings of balance control and cognitive-motor interaction in early Parkinson’s disease |
| title_short | Neurophysiological underpinnings of balance control and cognitive-motor interaction in early Parkinson’s disease |
| title_sort | neurophysiological underpinnings of balance control and cognitive motor interaction in early parkinson s disease |
| topic | EEG Semi-tandem stance COP (center of pressure) Parkinson’s Disease Cognitive-motor dual-tasking |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-06777-1 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT mancapeskar neurophysiologicalunderpinningsofbalancecontrolandcognitivemotorinteractioninearlyparkinsonsdisease AT paolomanganotti neurophysiologicalunderpinningsofbalancecontrolandcognitivemotorinteractioninearlyparkinsonsdisease AT urosmarusic neurophysiologicalunderpinningsofbalancecontrolandcognitivemotorinteractioninearlyparkinsonsdisease AT klausgramann neurophysiologicalunderpinningsofbalancecontrolandcognitivemotorinteractioninearlyparkinsonsdisease |