Hemispheric specialization during mental imagery of brisk walking.

Objectives: Brisk walking, a sensitive test to evaluate gait capacity in normal and pathological aging such as parkinsonism, is used as an alternative to classical fitness program for motor rehabilitation and may help to decrease the risk of cognitive deterioration observed with aging. In this study, we aimed to identify brain areas normally involved in its control.

Methods: We conducted a block-design blood oxygen level dependent function magnetic resonance imaging (BOLD fMRI) experiment in 18 young healthy individuals trained to imagine themselves in three main situations: brisk walking in a 25-m-long corridor, standing or lying.