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Updated: Nov 27, 2025
A Pilot Study on the Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation of Aβ and Tau Levels in Rhesus Monkey Cerebrospinal Fluid
Published on: September 3, 2021
Cerebrospinal fluid Aβ42 moderates the relationship between brain functional network dynamics and cognitive
Karin L Meeker1, Beau M Ances2, Brian A Gordon3
1Department of Psychology, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO, USA; Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA.
Cognitive variability increases with Alzheimer's disease (AD) progression. Reduced anticorrelations between brain networks (DMN × DAN) and higher amyloid-beta levels are linked to this increased variability in AD.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Science
- Biomarkers of Aging
Background:
- Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by accumulating pathology, leading to decreased resting-state functional connectivity (rs-fc) and increased cognitive intraindividual variability (IIV).
- The interplay between brain network dynamics and cognitive stability is crucial for understanding cognitive changes in aging and neurodegenerative diseases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between cognitive IIV and the anticorrelations in rs-fc between the default mode network (DMN) and dorsal attention network (DAN).
- To examine the association of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers (amyloid-beta [Aβ42] and tau) with IIV and DMN × DAN functional connectivity.
- To determine if amyloid burden influences the association between cognitive IIV and functional network dynamics in AD.
Main Methods:
- Assessed rs-fc between DMN and DAN in cognitively normal older adults and symptomatic AD participants.
- Measured cognitive IIV and CSF levels of Aβ42 and tau.
- Utilized moderation analyses to evaluate the influence of CSF biomarkers on the relationship between cognitive IIV and DMN × DAN connectivity.
Main Results:
- Cognitive IIV and DMN × DAN anticorrelations were significantly higher in individuals with AD compared to controls.
- Increased positivity (reduced anticorrelation) in the DMN × DAN relationship was associated with increased cognitive IIV.
- CSF Aβ42 levels, but not tau, moderated the relationship between cognitive IIV and DMN × DAN connectivity, indicating amyloid's role.
Conclusions:
- Alterations in functional network dynamics, specifically reduced anticorrelations between the DMN and DAN, are associated with increased cognitive variability in AD.
- Amyloid burden plays a significant role in modulating the relationship between cognitive variability and brain network function in early AD.
- These findings highlight the impact of amyloid on cognitive functioning and network dynamics in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease.
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