OBJECTIVE Individuals with a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) often present with cognitive and motor deficits, and thus the ability to perform tasks that rely on both domains may be particularly impaired. Yet, dual-task walking studies yield mixed results. Individual variance in the ability to cope with brain insult and mobilize additional brain resources may contribute to mixed findings. METHODS To test this hypothesis, we acquired event-related potentials (ERP) in individuals with MS and healthy controls (HCs) performing a Go/NoGo task while sitting (i.e., single task) or walking (i.e., dual-task) and looked at the relationship between task related modulation of the brain response and performance. RESULTS On the Go/NoGo task the MS group showed dual-task costs when walking, whereas HCs showed a dual-task benefit. Further, whereas the HC group showed modulation of the brain response as a function of task load, this was not the case in the MS group. Analysis for the pooled sample revealed a positive correlation between load-related ERP effects and dual-task performance. CONCLUSIONS These data suggest a neurophysiological marker of cognitive-motor dysfunction in MS. SIGNIFICANCE Understanding neural processes underlying dual-task walking will help identify objective brain measurements of real-world issues and may improve assessment of MS.

中文翻译：

---

多发性硬化症中认知运动障碍的移动脑/身体成像：在双任务步行研究中导出基于 EEG 的神经标记物

目标 诊断为多发性硬化症 (MS) 的个体通常存在认知和运动缺陷，因此执行依赖于这两个领域的任务的能力可能会特别受损。然而，双任务步行研究产生了不同的结果。应对脑损伤和调动额外大脑资源的能力的个体差异可能导致不同的发现。方法 为了验证这一假设，我们在 MS 和健康对照 (HC) 的个体中获得了事件相关电位 (ERP)，在坐着（即单任务）或步行（即双任务）时执行 Go/NoGo 任务，并观察在与任务相关的大脑反应调制和表现之间的关系。结果 在 Go/NoGo 任务中，MS 组在步行时显示出双任务成本，而 HCs 显示出双任务收益。更多，虽然 HC 组显示出大脑反应的调节作为任务负荷的函数，但 MS 组的情况并非如此。对合并样本的分析表明，与负载相关的 ERP 效应与双任务性能之间呈正相关。结论 这些数据表明 MS 认知运动功能障碍的神经生理学标志物。意义 了解双任务行走背后的神经过程将有助于确定现实世界问题的客观大脑测量，并可能改善 MS 的评估。