Start Date: 11/6/2025 7:00 PM EST
End Date: 11/6/2025 8:00 PM EST
Venue Name: https://www.pathlms.com/apta-virginia/courses/117148
Location:
VA United States
Organization Name:
APTA Virginia
Contact:
Neurorehabilitation Insights: Linking Brain Activity, Gait, and Falls in Aging and Stroke
Description:
Join us for an engaging and thought-provoking presentation by Dr. Sudeshna Chatterjee, a leading expert in translational neuroscience and mobility research. In this session, Dr. Chatterjee will explore how the brain supports walking and balance in older adults and individuals post-stroke, emphasizing the intricate interplay between executive and automatic control of gait.
Drawing from her innovative research as a Pepper Scholar and her current work at Drexel University, Dr. Chatterjee will discuss the application of mobile brain imaging (functional near-infrared spectroscopy, fNIRS) to examine prefrontal cortical activity during complex walking tasks that demand greater attentional control. Participants will gain valuable insights into how prefrontal activation patterns relate to person-specific factors such as executive function, balance confidence, and fear of falling, and how these associations can inform clinical assessment of fall risk and rehabilitation outcomes.
To enrich the discussion, attendees are encouraged to read the attached paper prior to the talk, as the session will include an interactive discussion connecting the paper’s findings with broader neurorehabilitation applications.
The talk will conclude with a forward-looking perspective on clinical implications for neurorehabilitation, highlighting strategies to enhance mobility and reduce fall risk by targeting neural and cognitive contributors to gait control in aging and post-stroke populations.
Learning Objectives:
1. Review of executive vs. automatic control of walking.
2. The use of mobile brain imaging using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to assess the prefrontal executive control of attentionally demanding walking tasks (complex walking).
3. Interpretation of prefrontal activity during complex walking and the association with person-specific factors such as executive function and balance confidence.
4. Implications for neurorehabilitation of walking in older adults and adults’ post-stroke.
Date:
November 6, 2025
Time:
7:00 PM – 8:00 PM EST
Requirements/Interests:
•Open to all VPTA members with a strong interest in geriatric physical therapy, regardless of experience level.
• A Zoom link will be sent to all registered attendees prior to the event.
Please see handout tab to download the article. The presenter has recommended participants to read beforehand.
Register Here!
