Meet the jury: Walking automaticity in people with neurological diseases by prof. Martina Mancini

We are pleased to invite you to a Meet the Jury lecture by Prof. Martina Mancini, entitled “Walking automaticity in people with neurological diseases” on Thursday, 14th November 2024 at 14:00h. The event will take place at Gasthuisberg (GHB), Auditorium ON4 (04.330), Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven.

Register via this link before 12/11/2024: https://forms.gle/vefbCz28pbZy9rKg8

You can join this talk, either in person or online (link can be provided after registration).

Contact: Demi<dot>Zoetewei<at>kuleuven<dot>be

About the lecture
Walking impairments are common in people with neurological diseases, such as Parkinson’s disease (PD) and spinocerebellar ataxia (SCAs), and lead to reduced mobility, independence, and quality of life. Walking is complex and controlled by multiple neural systems throughout the central nervous system including the spinal cord, brainstem, cerebellum, basal ganglia and motor cortex. Other forebrain regions, such as the prefrontal cortex (PFC) also plays a crucial role in adapting gait to changes in environmental conditions. PFC has also an important role in compensatory mechanisms. Yet, until recently, gait was only assessed through performance-based measures using different technologies, such as wearable devices, gait pressure mat, etc. Technological advancement allows monitoring of cortical activity during mobility tasks, using methods such as mobile functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Accumulating evidence demonstrates that this method reveals alterations consistent with compensatory mechanisms required to maintain normal walking in various neurological diseases. In this talk, we will discuss how, in people with PD, PFC activation during gait may compensate for the impaired basal ganglia output that affects walking automaticity, whereas in SCAs PFC activation during gait may signal damage in the cerebellum and brainstem. In addition, we will discuss whether the assessment of cortical activity while walking, together with walking performance outcomes, can be of help to assess specific markers of disease, disease trajectories and progression, and the effectiveness of treatments and interventions.

About the speaker
Dr. Martina Mancini is co-Director of the Balance Disorders Laboratory at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU). She is Associate Professor of Neurology and Adjunct Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering at OHSU. Dr. Mancini is a bioengineer focusing on the use of technologies to characterize and treat mobility impairments, such as freezing of gait, in people with Parkinson’s disease. She is investigating the neural correlates of mobility changes with technology-based approach for rehabilitation. Dr. Mancini received her BS, MS, and PhD in Bioengineering at the Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, and her post-doctoral fellowship in Neuroscience at OHSU.