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. 2021 Jan;42(1):128-138.
doi: 10.1002/hbm.25209. Epub 2020 Oct 22.

Evaluating a novel MR-compatible foot pedal device for unipedal and bipedal motion: Test-retest reliability of evoked brain activity

Jade D Doolittle  1 , Ryan J Downey  2   3 , Julia P Imperatore  1 , Logan T Dowdle  4   5 , Daniel H Lench  4 , John McLeod  1 , Daniel M McCalley  4 , Chris M Gregory  2 , Colleen A Hanlon  1   6
Affiliations

Evaluating a novel MR-compatible foot pedal device for unipedal and bipedal motion: Test-retest reliability of evoked brain activity

Jade D Doolittle et al. Hum Brain Mapp. 2021 Jan.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate a new, open-source MR-compatible device capable of assessing unipedal and bipedal lower extremity movement with minimal head motion and high test-retest reliability. To evaluate the prototype, 20 healthy adults participated in two magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) visits, separated by 2-6 months, in which they performed a visually guided dorsiflexion/plantar flexion task with their left foot, right foot, and alternating feet. Dependent measures included: evoked blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) signal in the motor network, head movement associated with dorsiflexion/plantar flexion, the test-retest reliability of these measurements. Left and right unipedal movement led to a significant increase in BOLD signal compared to rest in the medial portion of the right and left primary motor cortex (respectively), and the ipsilateral cerebellum (FWE corrected, p < .001). Average head motion was 0.10 ± 0.02 mm. The test-retest reliability was high for the functional MRI data (intraclass correlation coefficients [ICCs]: >0.75) and the angular displacement of the ankle joint (ICC: 0.842). This bipedal device can robustly isolate activity in the motor network during alternating plantarflexion and dorsiflexion with minimal head movement, while providing high test-retest reliability. Ultimately, these data and open-source building instructions will provide a new, economical tool for investigators interested in evaluating brain function resulting from lower extremity movement.

Keywords: MR-compatible device; bipedal movement; brain activity; fMRI; lower extremity; motor impairment; rehabilitation.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interests.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
MR‐compatible bipedal gait device and quantitative measure of angle output during left versus right foot movement blocks
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Angle displacement from output of the bipedal device across visits was calculated (Visits 1 and 2) and plotted for each of the subjects
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) signal during unipedal and bipedal movement. Participants were instructed to follow a video of foot dorsiflexion and plantarflexion movement. The task divided into blocks of left foot, right foot, left and right alternating (bipedal), and rest. The areas that were significantly activated following the movement blocks versus the rest blocks are shown (FWE corrected, p < .05) and described in more detail in Table 1. This is displayed for Visits 1 and 2. There was high test–retest reliability in activation
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 4
Test–retest reliability. The voxel‐based interclass correlation coefficients on an individual subject basis are shown for movement with each pedal and both pedals versus rest for Visits 1 and 2. The coefficients were calculated with a Bayesian approach (r > .4, AFNI 3dLME)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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