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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 22, 2025

Examining the Characteristics of Episodic Memory using Event-related Potentials in Patients with Alzheimer's Disease
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Prefrontal Activation During Effortful Processing Differentiates Memory Abilities in Adults with Memory Complaints.

Michael K Yeung1, Tsz-Lok Lee2, Agnes S Chan2,3

  • 1Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China.

Journal of Alzheimer'S Disease : JAD
|May 23, 2022
PubMed
Summary

Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) can differentiate memory abilities in individuals with memory complaints. Lower prefrontal activation during cognitive tasks is linked to poorer memory performance, suggesting potential for early Alzheimer's disease risk assessment.

Keywords:
Episodic memoryfNIRSk-meansmemory complaintsn-backprefrontal cortex

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cognitive Science
  • Medical Imaging

Background:

  • Identifying individuals at risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD) is critical for early intervention.
  • Memory complaints in cognitively normal individuals are linked to AD-related brain changes, but their predictive value for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or AD is debated.
  • The heterogeneity of memory complaints complicates their use as a reliable predictor of cognitive decline.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if prefrontal oxygenation changes measured by functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) during a demanding cognitive task can distinguish memory abilities in people with memory complaints.
  • To use episodic memory performance as a proxy for MCI/AD risk, as it predicts AD progression.
  • To explore the potential of fNIRS in identifying individuals with varying memory performance within the memory complaint group.

Main Methods:

  • Thirty-six adults with self-reported memory complaints but no diagnosed impairment participated.
  • Participants completed a verbal list learning test and a digit n-back task (0-back and 2-back conditions).
  • K-means clustering analyzed fNIRS-measured prefrontal oxygenation changes during the 2-back task to identify subgroups.

Main Results:

  • Cluster analysis identified two subgroups: low (n=24) and high (n=12) bilateral prefrontal activation during the difficult 2-back task, but not the easy 0-back task.
  • The low activation group showed significantly lower accuracy on the n-back task compared to the high activation group.
  • Individuals with low prefrontal activation also recalled fewer words on the verbal memory test.

Conclusions:

  • Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) shows potential for differentiating verbal memory abilities in individuals experiencing subjective memory complaints.
  • Prefrontal oxygenation patterns during cognitive effort may serve as a biomarker for cognitive function in this population.
  • This finding could aid in the early identification of individuals at higher risk for cognitive decline, potentially related to Alzheimer's disease.