1) 포스터명 : Analysis of Brain Activation Changes During the 6-Minute Walk Test in Older Adults Using Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS)

2) 저자 : JunSu Choi, JiHyuk Shin, In-Hong Kim, Ha-Yeong Kim, Yea Jin Jo, DongSoo Lee, Sun-Oke Kim, Jae A Sim, Su-Young Hwang, Yea Hyun Leem , Eun-Surk Yi

3) 초록 :

The six-minute walk test (6MWT) is widely used to assess exercise capacity and sarcopenia in older adults aged 65 years and above. However, few domestic studies have investigated brain activation during the 6MWT using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). fNIRS detects changes in oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin through near-infrared light. Its advantages include non-invasiveness, no requirement for radioactive tracers, and minimal interference from biological noise. Most previous studies combining fNIRS and walking tasks have been conducted on treadmills, which may not accurately reflect the natural gait patterns of older adults.

This study aimed to analyze changes in brain activation during the 6MWT in older adults aged 65 years and older. Sixteen participants who volunteered through the OO University Infrastructure Development Center were recruited. All participants wore identical shoes and performed the 6MWT on an indoor track while brain activity was measured using fNIRS.

Analysis of fNIRS data from the 16 participants revealed significant differences in six channels (4, 5, 7, 24, 31, 47) between the first and middle two minutes, eight channels (4, 9, 10, 15, 17, 18, 31, 42) between the first and last two minutes, and eight channels (7, 8, 9, 16, 17, 25, 36, 44) between the middle and last two minutes. When mapped to Brodmann areas, significant activation changes were observed in the prefrontal cortex regions, including the right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, frontopolar prefrontal cortex, and left orbitofrontal cortex.

This study is one of the first in Korea to examine changes in brain activation during the 6MWT in older adults using fNIRS. The findings provide evidence for evaluating brain–motor interaction during walking and offer important insights for developing strategies to improve gait performance and prevent falls in the elderly population.