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Functional decline of the precuneus associated with mild cognitive impairment: Magnetoencephalographic observations

Koichi Yokosawa1, Keisuke Kimura2, Ryoken Takase2

  • 1Faculty of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan.

Plos One
|September 28, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) is a precursor to dementia. This study found that reduced precuneus (PCu) activity, detected via magnetoencephalography (MEG), is linked to early MCI, suggesting a new non-invasive detection method.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cognitive Science
  • Gerontology

Background:

  • Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) represents a transitional stage between normal aging and dementia.
  • Understanding the neural underpinnings of MCI is crucial for developing effective interventions.
  • Current knowledge of brain regions associated with MCI remains limited.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the neural mechanisms associated with Mild Cognitive Impairment.
  • To explore the relationship between cognitive function, working memory, and brain activity in older adults.
  • To identify potential electrophysiological markers for early detection of cognitive decline.

Main Methods:

  • Twenty healthy elderly participants (mean age 67.5 years) underwent the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) test.
  • Magnetoencephalography (MEG) was used to record brain activity during a visual sequential memory task.
  • Analysis focused on alpha-band (8-13 Hz) rhythm desynchronization in relation to MoCA scores and task performance.

Main Results:

  • Higher MoCA scores correlated positively with recall accuracy for initial items in the memory sequence.
  • Participants with higher MoCA scores exhibited stronger alpha-band desynchronization in the precuneus (PCu) bilaterally.
  • This precuneus desynchronization response was diminished in individuals with lower MoCA scores during early memory encoding.

Conclusions:

  • Reduced precuneus (PCu) activity, indicated by weakened alpha-band desynchronization, is associated with early stages of Mild Cognitive Impairment.
  • These findings align with post-mortem studies implicating precuneus hypoperfusion in early Alzheimer's disease.
  • Monitoring precuneus activity using electrophysiological methods like MEG may offer a non-invasive approach for early cognitive decline detection.

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