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Ego- and allo-network disconnection underlying spatial disorientation in subjective cognitive decline
Qian Chen1, Zhao Qing2, Jiaxuan Jin1
1Department of Radiology, Drum Tower Hospital, Clinical College of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210008, China.
Summary
Spatial navigation deficits and brain network changes are evident in individuals with subjective cognitive decline (SCD), an early Alzheimer's disease (AD) stage. These findings highlight potential for early AD detection using spatial navigation and brain connectivity measures.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Science
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Alzheimer's disease (AD) dementia and mild cognitive impairment are linked to spatial navigation (SN) difficulties.
- Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) is a preclinical stage of AD, but SN has been understudied in this population.
- SCD indicates an elevated risk of progression to symptomatic AD.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate spatial navigation (SN) abilities and associated brain functional connectivity (FC) in individuals with subjective cognitive decline (SCD).
- To explore the potential of SN and FC measures for preclinical detection of incipient AD dementia.
Main Methods:
- 30 individuals with SCD and 30 controls completed cognitive scales, a 2D computerized SN test, and resting-state fMRI.
- Two SN brain networks (ego-network and allo-network) were defined, and their functional connectivity (FC) was analyzed.
- Correlations between SN performance and network FC were evaluated.
Main Results:
- The SCD group exhibited poorer performance on the SN test compared to controls.
- Decreased FC was observed in the SCD group within the ego-network (right retrosplenial-right prefrontal cortex) and allo-network (right retrosplenial cortex-right hippocampus).
- A logistic regression model using SN and FC measures achieved an AUC of 0.880 for differentiating SCD from controls.
Conclusions:
- Spatial navigation network disconnection is associated with spatial deficits in individuals with SCD.
- SN and FC measures show promise for the preclinical detection of individuals at risk for AD dementia.
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