Postural Adjustment Mechanisms of Cerebrovascular Disease Patients: A Comparison with Healthy Adults Using Near-infrared Spectroscopy

Abstract

[Purpose] Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) was used to determine the dynamics of cerebrovascular blood flows resulting from postural adjustments made by cerebrovascular disease (CVD) patients. [Subjects and Methods] The blood flow dynamics of 20 CVD patients and 20 healthy adults were measured during one-leg standing using NIRS, and the changes in oxyhemoglobin concentrations were analyzed. [Results] The activation of the dorsal prefrontal cortex and the region of the primary motor cortex was poor with a tendency of sudden rises and falls in the CVD patients, whereas it was maintained at a fixed level in the healthy adults. [Conclusion] NIRS is an effective tool for assessing the postural adjustments made by CVD patients, and there is a possibility it will be of help in the prognosis of rehabilitation interventions and the identification of balance disorders.