Scott Boebinger
BME PhD Proposal Presentation

Date:2022-03-04
Time: 9am
Location / Meeting Link: https://emory.zoom.us/j/95833615393

Committee Members:
Lena Ting, Ph.D. (GT/Emory BME, Advisor) Lucas McKay, Ph.D. MSCR (GT/Emory BME, Emory Biomedical Informatics, Emory Neurology) Michael Borich, Ph.D. DPT (GT/Emory BME, Emory Rehabilitation Medicine) Svjetlana Miocinovic, MD, Ph.D. (GT/Emory BME, Emory Neurology) Lewis Wheaton, Ph.D. (GT Biological Sciences)


Title: Investigating the role of cortical sensorimotor beta oscillatory activity during reactive balance control in aging and Parkinson’s disease

Abstract: In response to a destabilizing event, such as support surface translation, a rapid neuromuscular response is required to prevent bodily harm associated with a fall. This neuromuscular response is generally thought to be subcortically mediated. However, there is increasing evidence to suggest that cortical resources become engaged during balance control, particularly in those with lower balance ability. We currently lack a mechanistic understanding of how and/or when cortical resources become engaged during balance control and their impact on balance correcting muscle activity, which presents a major scientific barrier in improving fall risk assessments and rehabilitation interventions. Here we test the hypothesis that cortical activity becomes engaged during balance control when balance task difficulty increases as necessitated by an individual’s balance ability and that, once engaged, this cortical activity helps to drive subsequent balance-correcting muscle activity. Cortical activity will be assessed via sensorimotor beta oscillatory activity as this neurophysiological signature is heavily involved in sensorimotor processing, signals maintenance of the current motor state, and is a key pathophysiologic feature of Parkinson’s disease. We will investigate sensorimotor beta oscillatory activity throughout recovery of standing balance and its relationship to balance correcting muscle activity to identify whether sensorimotor beta activity: scales with balance task difficulty and individual’s balance ability (Aim 1); is increased during cognitive loading (Aim 2); and reduces automaticity of balance correcting muscle activity (Aim 3).