Behavioral psychological symptoms of dementia and functional connectivity changes: a network-based study

Area of Science:

• Neuroimaging
• Neurology
• Psychiatry

Background:

• Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) are common in Alzheimer's disease (AD), often linked to structural brain changes.
• The relationship between BPSD and functional brain changes, particularly in resting-state networks, remains less understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate alterations in functional brain networks associated with BPSD in Alzheimer's disease patients.
• To explore the link between specific BPSD factors and functional brain connectivity patterns.

Main Methods:

• Resting-state functional MRI (RS-fMRI) was employed in 101 AD patients, 56 amnestic mild cognitive impairment patients, and 35 healthy controls (HS).
• Neuropsychiatric Inventory-12 (NPI-12) data were factor analyzed to identify key BPSD dimensions.
• Graph theory analysis was applied to RS-fMRI data to assess functional connectivity within brain networks.

Main Results:

• Five distinct factors were extracted from the NPI-12, representing different BPSD profiles.
• Sixty-two percent of AD patients exhibited BPSD, which were associated with significant alterations in functional brain connectivity across various networks.
• These identified functional connectivity changes were found to significantly contribute to the manifestation of BPSD in patients.

Conclusions:

• Functional brain network alterations are demonstrably linked to BPSD in Alzheimer's disease.
• These findings highlight the potential for non-pharmacological interventions targeting brain connectivity to alleviate BPSD.
• This research opens new avenues for understanding and managing behavioral symptoms in dementia.