Exploring rhythmic visual cue impacts on gait initiation using functional EEG source connectivity

The underlying neural mechanisms of rhythmic visual cues to improve gait freezing symptoms are still remain unclear. Previous studies of rhythmic visual cues have not taken into account the fact that the brain processes information as a result of the interplay between various brain regions. This study applied the EEG source connectivity method to investigate the cortical response and to evaluate the functional integration relationship of the brain networks under the non-rhythmic and rhythmic visual cues. Results showed that there were more network connectivity under the rhythmic visual cues, which suggested that rhythmic visual cues strengthen the brain's visual processing and cognitive control functions by enhancing the interactions between brain regions. In addition, the brain functional network under rhythmic visual cues possessed stronger functional separation and functional integration. This study suggested that the modulatory mechanism of rhythmic visual cues on gait initiation may be related to the enhanced information processing efficiency of the brain functional network through visual information input. The innovative source localization of EEG signals and the combination of the analysis of functional brain networks complement the methodology of the study of rhythmic visual cues, thus filling a gap in this research.