Task-Based and Resting-State Cortical Functional Differences After Spinal Cord Injury: A Pilot Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Study

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

10-1-2023

Abstract

Brain reorganization following spinal cord injury (SCI) has been well-established using animal and human studies. Yet, much is unknown regarding functional recovery and adverse secondary outcomes after SCI. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is a neuroimaging technique that offers methodological flexibility in a real-world setting. We used fNIRS to examine the cortical functional differences between 12 males with thoracolumbar SCI (46.41 – 11.09 years of age) and 12 healthy males (47.61 – 11.94 years of age) during resting state and task conditions—bilateral finger tapping (FT), mental imagery of bilateral FT with action observation (FTI+AO), and bilateral ankle tapping (AT). We found an overall decrease in hemodynamic response of the SCI group during all three task conditions. Task modulated functional connectivity (FC) computed using beta series correlation technique was compared using independent sample t-tests at a = 0.05. Connectivity between the right mediolateral sensorimotor network (SMN) and the right medial SMN was reduced during the FT task in SCI. A mixed analysis of variance revealed that the FC within the right mediolateral SMN was reduced during FT but preserved during FTI+AO (i.e., comparable to controls) in the SCI group. Lower FC of these regions was associated with longer injury durations. Additionally, we found a general decrease in resting state FC of the SCI group, specifically in the Slow-3 frequency range (0.073 to 0.1 Hz). These results, though preliminary, are consistent with past studies and highlight the potential of fNIRS in SCI and rehabilitative research.

Identifier

85162254762 (Scopus)

Publication Title

Journal of Neurotrauma

External Full Text Location

https://doi.org/10.1089/neu.2022.0131

e-ISSN

15579042

ISSN

08977151

PubMed ID

36524233

First Page

2050

Last Page

2062

Issue

19-20

Volume

40

Grant

CSCR15FEL002

Fund Ref

New Jersey Commission on Spinal Cord Research

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