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Altered functional connectivity of the marginal division in Alzheimer's disease

Zengqiang Zhang, Yong Liu, Bo Zhou

  • 1Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China. zhangxi@301hospital.com.cn.

Current Alzheimer Research
|January 14, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment disrupt brain connectivity in the marginal division (MrD), a region vital for learning and memory. This functional network alteration correlates with cognitive decline in patients.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Neurology
  • Cognitive Science

Background:

  • Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a leading cause of dementia, characterized by progressive cognitive decline.
  • Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a transitional stage, with amnestic MCI often preceding AD.
  • The marginal division (MrD) is a key subcortical region involved in learning and memory.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate changes in functional connectivity of the MrD in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and amnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
  • To determine how these functional changes relate to cognitive performance in AD and MCI patients.

Main Methods:

  • Resting-state functional MRI (fMRI) was used to assess functional connectivity.
  • Neuropsychological tests were administered to AD and MCI patients.
  • Functional connectivity patterns of the MrD were compared between patients and normal controls.

Main Results:

  • AD and MCI patients exhibited decreased functional connectivity between the MrD and regions including the caudate, amygdala/parahippocampal region, inferior frontal gyrus, superior temporal gyrus, and cerebellum.
  • These connectivity changes were significantly correlated with neuropsychological scores in the MCI and AD groups.

Conclusions:

  • The functional network associated with the marginal division (MrD) is disrupted in Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment.
  • Altered MrD connectivity is linked to cognitive deficits observed in these neurodegenerative conditions.

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