Differences between mild cognitive impairment subtypes as indicated by event-related potential correlates of
Jesús Cespón1, Santiago Galdo-Álvarez1, Arturo X Pereiro2
1Laboratorio de Neurociencia Cognitiva, Departamento de Psicoloxía Clínica e Psicobioloxía, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Galiza, Spain.
Abstract:
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) may represent a prodromal stage of Alzheimer's disease (AD), although the clinical manifestations of MCI are heterogeneous. Consequently, MCI subtypes are differentiated since amnestic decline (particularly when combined with decline on multiple cognitive domains) increases the probability of progression to AD. In the present study, event-related potential (ERP) correlates of stimulus evaluation (N2), visuospatial attention (negativity posterior-contralateral, N2pc), stimulus categorization (P3b), executive control (pre-response positivity, PP, and medial frontal negativity), and motor (lateralized readiness potential, LRP) processes were studied in 53 participants while they performed a Simon task. Participants were divided into control group (CG), multiple-domain non-amnestic MCI (mdnaMCI), single-domain amnestic MCI (sdaMCI), and multiple-domain amnesic MCI (mdaMCI). Although there were no differences in reaction times and percentage of errors in the performed Simon-type task, a differential pattern of electrophysiological correlates was observed in MCI compared to CG. Concretely, amnestic MCI (sdaMCI and mdaMCI) showed reduced motor activity (LRP amplitude; AUC: 0.84); impairment in executive control (PP amplitude; AUC: 0.80) was observed in multiple-domain MCI (mdaMCI and mdnaMCI); finally, stimulus evaluation (N2 latency; AUC: 0.86) and visuospatial attention (N2pc amplitude; AUC: 0.78) was affected in mdaMCI. Overall, results linked the poorer prognosis of the mdaMCI subtype with a greater number of differences in ERP correlates regarding CG. Therefore, the present results enable us to suggest possible ERP biomarkers for specific MCI subtypes.
Insights
Event-related potentials (ERPs) reveal distinct brain activity patterns in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) subtypes. These electrophysiological markers may help differentiate subtypes of MCI, including amnestic and non-amnestic forms, aiding in prognosis prediction.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Biomarkers
Background:
- Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a heterogeneous condition, potentially preceding Alzheimer's disease (AD).
- Differentiating MCI subtypes is crucial as amnestic decline predicts higher AD progression risk.
- Electrophysiological correlates offer insights into cognitive processes affected in MCI.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate event-related potential (ERP) differences across MCI subtypes and a control group.
- To identify potential ERP biomarkers for specific MCI subtypes.
- To correlate ERP findings with the prognostic outlook of different MCI classifications.
Main Methods:
- 53 participants were categorized into control group (CG), multiple-domain non-amnestic MCI (mdnaMCI), single-domain amnestic MCI (sdaMCI), and multiple-domain amnesic MCI (mdaMCI).
- Participants performed a Simon task while ERPs related to stimulus evaluation, attention, executive control, and motor processes were recorded.
- Key ERP components analyzed included N2, N2pc, P3b, pre-response positivity (PP), medial frontal negativity, and lateralized readiness potential (LRP).
Main Results:
- No significant differences in reaction time or error rates were found between groups.
- Amnestic MCI (sdaMCI, mdaMCI) exhibited reduced motor activity (LRP amplitude).
- Multiple-domain MCI (mdaMCI, mdnaMCI) showed impaired executive control (PP amplitude).
- Multiple-domain non-amnestic MCI (mdaMCI) displayed affected stimulus evaluation (N2 latency) and visuospatial attention (N2pc amplitude).
- The multiple-domain amnesic MCI (mdaMCI) subtype showed the most ERP differences compared to controls, correlating with poorer prognosis.
Conclusions:
- ERP measures reveal distinct electrophysiological profiles for different MCI subtypes.
- Specific ERP components (LRP, PP, N2, N2pc) serve as potential biomarkers for amnestic, executive, and attention-related impairments in MCI.
- The findings support the utility of ERPs in characterizing MCI subtypes and predicting disease progression.
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