{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,22]],"date-time":"2026-09-22T15:01:09Z","timestamp":1790089269980,"version":"4.0.1"},"reference-count":34,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,22]],"date-time":"2026-09-22T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1790035200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Hum. Neurosci."],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Advances in stroke care have led to an increase in the number of patients who regain independent indoor ambulation; however, many still experience limitations when attempting to resume community activities. Altered prefrontal cortex (PFC) activity during dual-task walking (DTW) after stroke has been suggested as a contributing factor to difficulties with community ambulation. The purpose of this study was to compare PFC oxygenation dynamics and walking performance during DTW between independently ambulatory patients with acute stroke and healthy older adults.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      A total of 36 independently ambulatory patients with stroke within 14 days of onset (74.8\u202f\u00b1\u202f6.3 years; 44% female) and 17 healthy older adults (71.4\u202f\u00b1\u202f4.1 years; 41% female) were included in this cross-sectional observational study. Each participant performed normal walking as a single task (Walk-ST), serial subtraction as a single task (Serial-7-ST), and DTW tasks. We measured PFC oxygenation by assessing oxyhemoglobin (O\n                      <jats:sub>2<\/jats:sub>\n                      Hb) and deoxyhemoglobin (HHb) using a wearable near-infrared spectroscopy device and assessed walking speed, cadence, stride length, cognitive accuracy, and number of responses. Two-way repeated-measures analysis of variance was applied to the PFC oxygenation and performance outcomes, and the Hochberg method was used to adjust for multiple testing across related outcomes.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      Significant task effects were observed for both O\n                      <jats:sub>2<\/jats:sub>\n                      Hb and HHb after Hochberg adjustment (both adjusted\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      &amp;lt;\u202f0.01), whereas no significant group effects were detected. O\n                      <jats:sub>2<\/jats:sub>\n                      Hb was higher and HHb lower during Serial-7-ST and dual-task walking than during walking alone (all Bonferroni-adjusted\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      &amp;lt;\u202f0.01), with no significant differences between Serial-7-ST and dual-task walking for either O\n                      <jats:sub>2<\/jats:sub>\n                      Hb (adjusted\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u202f=\u202f0.20) or HHb (adjusted\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u202f=\u202f0.15). Walking speed, cadence, and stride length showed significant group and task effects after Hochberg adjustment (all adjusted\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      &amp;lt;\u202f0.05). No significant group differences were observed in cognitive accuracy or number of responses, although the number of responses showed a significant task effect (adjusted\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      =\u202f0.04).\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Ambulatory patients with acute stroke exhibited poorer walking performance than did healthy older adults, despite showing no significant between-group differences in task-related PFC oxygenation dynamics or cognitive performance.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fnhum.2026.1945008","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,22]],"date-time":"2026-09-22T14:21:34Z","timestamp":1790086894000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Prefrontal cortex oxygenation dynamics during dual-task walking in independently ambulatory patients with acute stroke: a comparison with healthy older adults"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"20","author":[{"given":"Tomoya","family":"Takahashi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Rehabilitation, Kobe City Medical Center General Hospital","place":["Kobe, Hyogo, Japan"]},{"name":"Graduate School of Health and Welfare, Niigata University of Health and Welfare","place":["Niigata, Japan"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kentaro","family":"Iwata","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Rehabilitation, Kobe City Medical Center General Hospital","place":["Kobe, Hyogo, Japan"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Natsuki","family":"Takahara","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Rehabilitation, Saiseikai Higashikanagawa Rehabilitation Hospital","place":["Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Erika","family":"Ohmori","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Rehabilitation, Kobe City Medical Center General Hospital","place":["Kobe, Hyogo, Japan"]},{"name":"Graduate School of Health and Welfare, Niigata University of Health and Welfare","place":["Niigata, Japan"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yukihiro","family":"Maekawa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Rehabilitation, Kobe City Medical Center General Hospital","place":["Kobe, Hyogo, Japan"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kanji","family":"Yamada","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Rehabilitation, Kobe City Medical Center General Hospital","place":["Kobe, Hyogo, Japan"]},{"name":"Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Health Science, Juntendo University","place":["Tokyo, Japan"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sota","family":"Kobayashi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute for Human Movement and Medical Sciences, Niigata University of Health and Welfare","place":["Niigata, Japan"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Nobuo","family":"Kohara","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Rehabilitation, Kobe City Medical Center General Hospital","place":["Kobe, Hyogo, Japan"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Atsuhiro","family":"Tsubaki","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Graduate School of Health and Welfare, Niigata University of Health and Welfare","place":["Niigata, Japan"]},{"name":"Institute for Human Movement and Medical Sciences, Niigata University of Health and Welfare","place":["Niigata, Japan"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,22]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"591","DOI":"10.1177\/1545968315613864","article-title":"Prefrontal cortex activation while walking under dual-task conditions in stroke: a multimodal imaging study","volume":"30","author":"Al-Yahya","year":"2016","journal-title":"Neurorehabil. Neural Repair"},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"858","DOI":"10.1093\/ije\/dyac210","article-title":"Epidemiology and trends in stroke mortality in the USA, 1975\u20132019","volume":"52","author":"Ananth","year":"2023","journal-title":"Int. J. Epidemiol."},{"key":"ref3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"591013","DOI":"10.1155\/2014\/591013","article-title":"Walking adaptability after a stroke and its assessment in clinical settings","volume":"2014","author":"Balasubramanian","year":"2014","journal-title":"Stroke Res. Treat."},{"key":"ref4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"289","DOI":"10.1111\/j.2517-6161.1995.tb02031.x","article-title":"Controlling the false discovery rate: a practical and powerful approach to multiple testing","volume":"57","author":"Benjamini","year":"1995","journal-title":"J. R. Stat. Soc. B Stat. Methodol."},{"key":"ref5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"63","DOI":"10.1016\/j.neuroscience.2025.11.015","article-title":"Inter-session reliability of prefrontal cortex functional near-infrared spectroscopy measures during dual-task walking protocols of different duration in stroke survivors and healthy controls","volume":"592","author":"Binder","year":"2026","journal-title":"Neuroscience"},{"key":"ref6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"291","DOI":"10.3390\/brainsci11030291","article-title":"Brain activation changes while walking in adults with and without neurological disease: systematic review and meta-analysis of functional near-infrared spectroscopy studies","volume":"11","author":"Bishnoi","year":"2021","journal-title":"Brain Sci."},{"key":"ref7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"3404","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jstrokecerebrovasdis.2018.08.004","article-title":"One-quarter of people leave inpatient stroke rehabilitation with physical capacity for community ambulation","volume":"27","author":"Blennerhassett","year":"2018","journal-title":"J. Stroke Cerebrovasc. Dis."},{"key":"ref8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"194","DOI":"10.3389\/fnhum.2019.00194","article-title":"Interpreting prefrontal recruitment during walking after stroke: influence of individual differences in mobility and cognitive function","volume":"13","author":"Chatterjee","year":"2019","journal-title":"Front. Hum. Neurosci."},{"key":"ref9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"246","DOI":"10.3389\/fnhum.2015.00246","article-title":"Automaticity of walking: functional significance, mechanisms, measurement and rehabilitation strategies","volume":"9","author":"Clark","year":"2015","journal-title":"Front. Hum. Neurosci."},{"key":"ref10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"882","DOI":"10.3389\/fneur.2020.00882","article-title":"Cognitive-locomotor dual-task interference in stroke survivors and the influence of the tasks: a systematic review","volume":"11","author":"Deblock-Bellamy","year":"2020","journal-title":"Front. Neurol."},{"key":"ref11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2133","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(24)00757-8","article-title":"Global incidence, prevalence, years lived with disability (YLDs), disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), and healthy life expectancy (HALE) for 371 diseases and injuries in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations, 1990\u20132021: a systematic analysis for the global burden of disease study 2021","volume":"403","year":"2024","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"key":"ref12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"46","DOI":"10.1016\/j.humov.2018.03.010","article-title":"Prefrontal over-activation during walking in people with mobility deficits: interpretation and functional implications","volume":"59","author":"Hawkins","year":"2018","journal-title":"Hum. Mov. Sci."},{"key":"ref13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"559227","DOI":"10.3389\/fneur.2020.559227","article-title":"Functional status is associated with prefrontal cortex activation in gait in subacute stroke patients: a functional near-infrared spectroscopy study","volume":"11","author":"Hermand","year":"2020","journal-title":"Front. Neurol."},{"key":"ref14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"160","DOI":"10.3389\/fnagi.2019.00160","article-title":"Prefrontal cortex activation during dual task with increasing cognitive load in subacute stroke patients: a pilot study","volume":"11","author":"Hermand","year":"2019","journal-title":"Front. Aging Neurosci."},{"key":"ref15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"466","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm7120466","article-title":"Applications of functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) neuroimaging in exercise\u2013cognition science: a systematic, methodology-focused review","volume":"7","author":"Herold","year":"2018","journal-title":"J. Clin. Med."},{"key":"ref16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"800","DOI":"10.1093\/biomet\/75.4.800","article-title":"A sharper Bonferroni procedure for multiple tests of significance","volume":"75","author":"Hochberg","year":"1988","journal-title":"Biometrika"},{"key":"ref17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"35","DOI":"10.1093\/ptj\/64.1.35","article-title":"Clinical gait assessment in the neurologically impaired: reliability and meaningfulness","volume":"64","author":"Holden","year":"1984","journal-title":"Phys. Ther."},{"key":"ref18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1076","DOI":"10.1093\/gerona\/gly181","article-title":"Distinct fNIRS-derived HbO2 trajectories during the course and over repeated walking trials under single- and dual-task conditions: implications for within-session learning and prefrontal cortex efficiency in older adults","volume":"74","author":"Holtzer","year":"2019","journal-title":"J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci."},{"key":"ref19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"5099","DOI":"10.1113\/JP276956","article-title":"Feedforward- and motor effort-dependent increase in prefrontal oxygenation during voluntary one-armed cranking","volume":"596","author":"Ishii","year":"2018","journal-title":"J. Physiol."},{"key":"ref20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"N91","DOI":"10.1088\/0031-9155\/51\/5\/N02","article-title":"The modified beer\u2013Lambert law revisited","volume":"51","author":"Kocsis","year":"2006","journal-title":"Phys. Med. Biol."},{"key":"ref21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"904145","DOI":"10.3389\/fneur.2022.904145","article-title":"Frontal, sensorimotor, and posterior parietal regions are involved in dual-task walking after stroke","volume":"13","author":"Lim","year":"2022","journal-title":"Front. Neurol."},{"key":"ref22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"193","DOI":"10.1016\/j.gaitpost.2017.09.032","article-title":"Prefrontal cortex activation during a dual task in patients with stroke","volume":"59","author":"Mori","year":"2018","journal-title":"Gait Posture"},{"key":"ref23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"11","DOI":"10.1056\/NEJMoa1706442","article-title":"Thrombectomy 6 to 24 hours after stroke with a mismatch between deficit and infarct","volume":"378","author":"Nogueira","year":"2018","journal-title":"N. Engl. J. Med."},{"key":"ref24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1169744","DOI":"10.3389\/fnins.2023.1169744","article-title":"Prefrontal activation during dual-task seated stepping and walking performed by subacute stroke patients with hemiplegia","volume":"17","author":"Nosaka","year":"2023","journal-title":"Front. Neurosci."},{"key":"ref25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"505","DOI":"10.3389\/fnhum.2018.00505","article-title":"Current status and issues regarding pre-processing of fNIRS neuroimaging data: an investigation of diverse signal filtering methods within a general linear model framework","volume":"12","author":"Pinti","year":"2019","journal-title":"Front. Hum. Neurosci."},{"key":"ref26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"225","DOI":"10.3389\/fnhum.2015.00225","article-title":"Measuring treatment effects on dual-task performance: a framework for research and clinical practice","volume":"9","author":"Plummer","year":"2015","journal-title":"Front. Hum. Neurosci."},{"key":"ref27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2565","DOI":"10.1016\/j.apmr.2013.08.002","article-title":"Cognitive-motor interference during functional mobility after stroke: state of the science and implications for future research","volume":"94","author":"Plummer","year":"2013","journal-title":"Arch. Phys. Med. Rehabil."},{"key":"ref28","volume-title":"R: A Language and Environment for Statistical Computing","year":"2021"},{"key":"ref29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"61","DOI":"10.1001\/jamaneurol.2021.4346","article-title":"Twenty-year change in severity and outcome of ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes","volume":"79","author":"Toyoda","year":"2022","journal-title":"JAMA Neurol."},{"key":"ref30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"344","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jclinepi.2007.11.008","article-title":"The strengthening the reporting of observational studies in epidemiology (STROBE) statement: guidelines for reporting observational studies","volume":"61","author":"von Elm","year":"2008","journal-title":"J. Clin. Epidemiol."},{"key":"ref31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1111274","DOI":"10.3389\/fnins.2023.1111274","article-title":"Brain activation of the PFC during dual-task walking in stroke patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis of functional near-infrared spectroscopy studies","volume":"17","author":"Wang","year":"2023","journal-title":"Front. Neurosci."},{"key":"ref32","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e50271","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0050271","article-title":"Separation of fNIRS signals into functional and systemic components based on differences in hemodynamic modalities","volume":"7","author":"Yamada","year":"2012","journal-title":"PLoS One"},{"key":"ref33","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"329","DOI":"10.1002\/mds.21720","article-title":"The role of executive function and attention in gait","volume":"23","author":"Yogev-Seligmann","year":"2008","journal-title":"Mov. Disord."},{"key":"ref34","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"012101","DOI":"10.1117\/1.NPh.8.1.012101","article-title":"Best practices for fNIRS publications","volume":"8","author":"Y\u00fccel","year":"2021","journal-title":"Neurophotonics"}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Human Neuroscience"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fnhum.2026.1945008\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,22]],"date-time":"2026-09-22T14:21:35Z","timestamp":1790086895000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fnhum.2026.1945008\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,22]]},"references-count":34,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fnhum.2026.1945008"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fnhum.2026.1945008","relation":{},"ISSN":["1662-5161"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1662-5161","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,22]]},"article-number":"1945008"}}