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Decreased Prefrontal Activation during Matrix Reasoning in Predementia Progranulin Mutation Carriers
Courtney Alexander1, Dagmar Zeithamova2, Ging-Yuek R Hsiung3
1School of Graduate Psychology, Pacific University, Hillsboro, OR, USA.
Abstract:
We tested the potential of task-based functional neuroimaging as a biomarker of emerging prefrontal brain changes in progranulin (GRN) mutations carriers. Five GRN mutation carriers free of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and 11 non-carriers from families with FTD-GRN underwent functional MRI while solving matrix-reasoning problems. Mutation carriers displayed slower responses for more difficult problems and lower lateral prefrontal activation across all problems. Overall task-evoked posterior ventrolateral prefrontal activation predicted mutation status with 100% sensitivity and 91% specificity. Volumetric differences did not account for activation differences. Prefrontal activation may have utility as a biomarker in GRN mutation.
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