Prefrontal Cortex Oxygenation During Walking in an Acute Ischaemic Stroke Patient with Severe Internal Carotid Artery Stenosis: A Case Report.

This study investigated the oxygenation in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) during walking in a 75-year-old male patient in the acute phase of a left frontal lobe cerebral infarction complicated by severe left internal carotid artery stenosis. The patient regained independent ambulation on the fifth day after the onset of symptoms, and the study was conducted on the eighth day after the onset of symptoms. The patient rested for 10 s before walking for 70 s. Then he rested for 60 s. The levels of oxyhaemoglobin (O2Hb), deoxyhaemoglobin (HHb), and total haemoglobin (THb) in the PFC were quantified during the rest and walking phases using a wearable near-infrared spectroscopy device. Comparative analysis with baseline values during rest revealed decreases in the O2Hb, HHb, and THb in both hemispheres of the PFC during walking (O2Hb: -19.76/ -14.88 μmol/L, HHb: -1.18/ -2.00 μmol/L, THb: -20.96/ -16.88 μmol/L, right/left, respectively). The recovery of the O2Hb was delayed by 15.8 seconds in the affected hemisphere. These findings support the effectiveness of wearable NIRS for the evaluation of cerebral oxygenation during rehabilitation in patients with acute stroke to facilitate evaluations and individualise patient care.