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Neuroinflammation and Functional Connectivity in Alzheimer's Disease: Interactive Influences on Cognitive
L Passamonti1,2, K A Tsvetanov2, P S Jones2
1Istituto di Bioimmagini e Fisiologia Molecolare (IBFM), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), 20090, Milano, Italy, lp337@medschl.cam.ac.uk.
Summary
Neuroinflammation in Alzheimer's disease (AD) disrupts brain network connectivity, worsening cognitive impairment. Targeting neuroinflammation may offer new therapeutic strategies for dementia.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Medical Imaging
- Alzheimer's Disease Research
Background:
- Neuroinflammation is a key factor in Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis.
- The relationship between neuroinflammation, brain network connectivity, and cognitive decline in AD is not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the link between neuroinflammation and disrupted functional connectivity in large-scale brain networks.
- To determine the combined influence of neuroinflammation and network disruption on cognitive impairment in AD patients.
Main Methods:
- Combined [11C]PK11195 positron emission tomography (PET) for neuroinflammation and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) for functional connectivity.
- Analyzed data from 28 patients with AD or mild cognitive impairment and 14 healthy controls.
- Used source-based "inflammetry" and independent component analyses to assess neuroinflammation and brain connectivity patterns.
Main Results:
- Patients with AD exhibited significantly higher [11C]PK11195 binding, indicating increased neuroinflammation, particularly in the hippocampus and cortical regions.
- Elevated neuroinflammation was associated with diffuse disruptions in functional brain connectivity.
- A stronger link between neuroinflammation and abnormal connectivity correlated with more severe cognitive deficits.
Conclusions:
- Neuroinflammation is directly related to pathophysiological changes in brain network function that contribute to cognitive deficits in Alzheimer's disease.
- The association between neuroinflammation and functionally relevant network reorganization highlights neuroinflammation as a potential therapeutic target for immunotherapies.
- This study provides in vivo evidence that neuroinflammation impairs large-scale network connectivity, relevant to cognitive impairment in AD.
Keywords:
Alzheimer's diseasePET[11C]PK11195functional connectivityindependent component analysisneuroinflammationMore Related Videos
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